2005 Italian Open News
By Eleanor
Preston | May 02, 2005
 European
red clay has always been a capricious friend to American
players but today proved
to be one of those rare days when things went right
for the USA’s two biggest names. Andy Roddick
and Andre Agassi both came through their first round
match at the Italian Open unscathed, an optimistic
sign ahead of the French Open, which starts in three
weeks’ time.Agassi is a former champion in
Rome and was playing Italian wildcard Alessio Di
Mauro, so perhaps his 7-5, 6-2
win was marginally less surprising than Roddick’s 6-4, 6-2
victory over Rusedski, one of the few men on the tour less well versed in the
intricacies of clay-court tennis than he is.
Agassi struggled a little to put Di Mauro away, though that had much to do
with the rush
of inspiration the Italian got from playing in front of his noisy and stereotypically
passionate home crowd. It took until 5-5 for Agassi to break his serve and
even then it was a struggle but once the Las Vegan had his advantage and shake
of the rustiness in his game, he set about turning the screws with
customary ruthlessness.
“It was my first match on clay,” said Agassi simply. “I think
I was hitting the ball well but I could have closed out some important points
a little earlier.”
Perhaps because he is aware of the march of time and the fact that there may
not be too many more clay court tournaments left in him, Agassi appears to be
a little more determined about his clay court season than he was last year, when
he played few matches going into Roland Garros and paid the price.
“I learned pretty quickly that it’s not the best preparation for
me. If I wasn’t going to play on clay then I wouldn’t even be playing
in Paris because it’s impossible to just show up there and expect to
be ready. I just think that the clay is a good foundation for me for the rest
of the year. If I can work though it and find a high standard of tennis, I
know when I get to the grass and the hard courts I will be even more confident.”
Roddick said much the same thing and he too has put in a more thorough preparation
for this part of the season than he has before. After injuring his wrist in Miami
he hit the gym in an attempt to make himself fitter and leaner and has dropped
weight to help his movement.
“Thank you for noticing,” he smirked, when asked about his weight
loss in his post-match press conference. “I just felt I was a little heavy
last year and it didn’t help me.”
Roddick is in better physical shape than his friend and Davis Cup team-mate Mardy
Fish, who pulled out of Rome with a wrist injury without hitting a ball. His
place in the draw will be taken by Alberto Martin from Spain.
 He may be in better shape, too, than Gustavo Kuerten, arguably one of the finest
clay court craftsmen the game has ever produced and the winner of three Roland
Garros trophies and a lot more besides. Relentless hip problems and a succession
of comebacks, surgeries and lay-offs have robbed him of those powers though and
he never looked likely to beat Tim Henman, a player who has made a virtue of
being a serve and volleyer on clay and learned to enjoy a surface which he once
viewed with a mixture of fear and loathing.
Clay may never be an easy surface for those whose first instinct is to attack
but it is a surface which rewards perseverance. This week in Rome will show just
how much of that Roddick and Agassi are prepared to offer.
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