Andre Agassi has finally come out with the secret behind winning his epic 1995 US Open shot against the Spanish player, Alex Corretja. Agassi had to run down and virtually reverse smash the shot, something which is rarely seen in tennis even today. It was all box-office entertainment and in a recent conversation with the US Open, the American legend explained that since the breeze was in the way, he could not play the ball in the air or go for a defensive lob shot.
Corretja looked pretty energetic during the match and during that point, sent Agassi to almost every corner of the court. The Spaniard sent the ball flying above Agassi’s head but the latter decided to chase it, pulling off a historic shot.
While it was an instinctive reaction by the looks of it, Agassi thought well on his feet to focus on timing the ball for his return rather than going for a flamboyant shot.
“I kind of went back with my racquet in a way that he thought that’s the only shot I could play. But then it would just sat right over my left shoulder. And I thought I know he’s crashing without even seeing him, So I thought if i just snuck it this way, I might be able to beat him on timing, not so much with a great shot.
“And so I guess with the adrenaline, with the crowd, with the blood pressure, I hit a little bit firmer than I actually even meant to. Plus that breeze was flying that direction and it just took right by him,” Agassi was quoted as saying.
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The shot is also known as ‘no look smash’ as his back was turned towards Corretja while he chased the ball. He then smashed it above the nets without even looking backward, sending it past his Spanish opponent, who was left perplexed by what happened.
The Spanish even applauded Agassi for that iconic shot by dropping his racquet on the ground and clapping. The crowd too went crazy, making the American legend bow down to them.
The 1995 US Open was quite successful for Agassi, who was also the defending champion and No.1 seed that year, as he reached the final of the tournament, though he lost to his biggest rival, Pete Sampras. Of the 8 men’s singles grand slam titles won by Agassi, 2 were won at the US Open, in the years 1994 and 1999 respectively.
This year, he is also set to make an appearance in the US Open Fan Week. His appearance is going to be more interesting as it will take place alongside the young Spanish prodigy Carlos Alcaraz and both of them will take on the pair of Novak Djokovic and John McEnroe in a men’s doubles exhibition match on Wednesday, August 21.
