TNT Sports
Agassi survives bullets
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Published 01/09/2005 at 23:16 GMT+1
Despite tipping the scales with 69 winners and 30 aces Croatian Comet Ivo Karlovic was unable to fire down 1994 and 1999 champion Andre Agassi in the U.S. Open second round on Thursday. Making his 20th consecutive appearance at Flushing Meadow, seventh se
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Struggling with a sciatic nerve problem in his back throughout the 2005 season, Agassi used all his experience for a 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-4) victory and a lesson to other player's in how to counter Karlovic's skewing serve.
"This is a difficult match, it's just so hard to break him," the seventh seed told an adoring Arthur Ashe Court crowd.
"It was good to close that one out, it was only getting tougher."
Agassi, who had never met Karlovic before, had five chances to break the six-foot ten-inch Croatian in the seventh game.
As the break point opportunities went begging, the 35-year-old Las Vegan has to save one set point to Karlovic before sealing the first set tie-break 7-4.
Agassi squandered a 4-1 lead in the second set before recovering to take the tiebreak 7-5 and then won the third 7-4 to clinch victory.
"Today required a lot of concentration because it only took a mental lapse for one or two shots and the set's over with.
"You just have to concentrate and concentrate point after point. You never know when the match is getting decided out there against a player like that."
The American will next play either Czech 32nd seed Tomas Berdych or Ricardo Mello of Brazil.
THURSDAY WRAP-UP
In other second round action on day four at Flushing Meadows, eighth seed Guillermo Coria of Argentina defeated American Vince Spadea 6-2 6-3 6-2.
Meanwhile, tenth seed Mariano Puerta, the French Open finalist, fell to Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 6-4 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-1. France's Sebastien Grosjean ousted 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson, seeded 14thn 6-3 6-2 4-6 6-2.
Nineteenth seed Tommy Robredo of Spain knocked out Brazil's three-times French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten 5-7 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 6-2 and 24th-ranked Russian Mikhail Youzhny beat Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden 6-4 6-4 6-3.
Andy Roddick's first round conqueror, Gilles Muller of Luxembourg, suffered a 6-1 6-1 6-4 defeat to American doubles partner Robby Ginepri.
"Yesterday I didn't have so much time to rest," said Muller.
"And I got so many phone calls. I didn't know that I'd had that big an impact on people."
When asked on Thursday, what Roddick's mistake has been when playing Muller, Agassi said to let the 22-year-old dictate play.
"That night Muller was bringing his game and Andy was just taking it," he said.
"He wasn't as aggressive as he needed to be and Muller was keeping him from doing it.
"It is an uncomfortable hole you get yourself into out there when a guy starts dictating to you the terms. That's exactly what Muller was doing and deserved to win that night."
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