ACOG - News - IBM

(3 August 1996; Day 15)

AGASSI Completes U.S. Singles Tennis Sweep

For the second day in a row, it was USA versus Spain in an Olympic tennis final, and for the second day in a row, an American prevailed on American soil. Top-seeded Andre AGASSI (USA) made it a clean U.S. singles sweep at Stone Mountain Tennis Center Saturday, defeating Spain's Sergi BRUGUERA 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 in the men's gold medal final. AGASSI's victory follows on the heels of his U.S. teammate, Lindsay DAVENPORT, who won the women's singles gold on Friday.

"This is the greatest accomplishment I've had in this sport," AGASSI said of the victory. "To win a Grand Slam in tennis is the biggest thing you can accomplish inside your sport, but the Olympics are the biggest thing you can do in all sports. Winning a gold medal is what it's all about -- I'd keep this over all of them."

AGASSI certainly looked in top Grand Slam form Saturday, dominating the match from the outset and taking the first set in just 21 minutes. The second set fell into place some 33 minutes later, sending him two-thirds of the way to the first U.S. men's singles gold in 62 years.

"This is really as good of tennis as I can play," he assessed. "In every aspect of the game I was there. That's the standard I've gotten my opponents used to, and one that I haven't lived up to in a while. The way I played today, I didn't care who was there, I was going to win."

The confidence AGASSI was brimming with was clearly lacking in BRUGUERA, whose only service break came on an American forehand error at 2-all. From that point on, it was all AGASSI, who allowed the Spaniard only seven points in the next four games before taking the second set, 6-3.

"This level of tennis is what I can do, day after day," AGASSI said. "It's what I expect for myself and what frustrates me so much when I'm not there. This certainly is a clear example of what I can do with my game, if I just get my confidence in the right place."

Clearly, AGASSI was fully confident in his service game, as he opened the third set by holding serve at love for the fourth time in the match. He would rack up two more love games -- one on his serve, one on BRUGUERA's -- before serving out the match at 5-1.

"I persevered through a few tough matches here," AGASSI later said of his achievement. "But certainly the emotion of playing for my country helped me dig deeper than I might have if it wasn't for the Olympics."

Digging deep clearly paid off for the No. 7-ranked AGASSI, who summed up his Olympic experience with gratitude. "If four years from now my country calls on me again, then that's where I'll be," he said. "Hearing the anthem was literally the greatest accomplishment I've had in this game. I will never forget what this game gave me today."

This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Melissa Horton.


Return to Olympic News Menu

Select another day:
Pre July 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 August 1 2 3 4 Post


Olympic Factoid
Pin trading was one of the most popular Olympic sports, with more than 1.2 million pins changing hands during the Games in the Coca Cola Pin Trading Center at Centennial Olympic Park.