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You are in: Tennis: Australian Open: 2003 |
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![]() Agassi elated after win
![]() Agassi was visibly delighted with his fourth title in Melbourne
Australian Open winner Andre Agassi struggled to put his thoughts into words as he contemplated his eighth Grand Slam title. The world number two overwhelmed first-time finalist Rainer Schuettler in three one-sided sets to complete 21 consecutive match wins at Melbourne Park.
Agassi admitted that it would take time for his achievement to sink in. "I'm really overwhelmed by this because, as I've said so many times, as you get older you realise so quickly how these moments pass," Agassi said. "You want to make the most of them and to win one down here again was just more than I could dream of." Agassi lost only one set over the fortnight and from the moment he won the opening eight points of the final, there was only one likely result.
"My game is built around controlling the points. The stakes are high immediately in my own mind," Agassi said later. "I feel like whatever I do in the first game should be a reflection of what I do in the rest of the match." And at three months short of his 33rd birthday, Agassi explained how he found the drive to compete for more major titles.
"Winning Slams is a function of getting through the days when things don't go as planned. It's also a question of playing your best tennis when you need to," he said. "For me, it's about challenging myself, pushing myself. I can live without the competition. I can live without the hard work. "But I can't live without knowing what it feels like to try to accomplish something that I question if I can."
Schuettler admitted that he had been outclassed by a high-quality opponent. "He played very good. He's definitely at the moment the best player in the world," Schuettler said. "There's not a lot to say - I tried my best, but he was simply too good for me today. "I was under pressure from the first point. I never had the chance to play my game. It was a little disappointing to lose the final like that. "But I played a great tournament. I played two great weeks. It was great to play in a Grand Slam final."
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