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Tennis: US Open 2004

Armat

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Armat

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Another Marathon, Another Victory

By CHRIS BROUSSARD

 

Published: September 5, 2004

 

 

Sargis Sargsian covered his eyes and rolled flat onto his back. If he had stayed in that position and taken a nap, no one at the National Tennis Center would have blamed him.

 

A true ironman, Sargsian had just completed two of the longest consecutive rounds of tennis played at the United States Open. Two days after winning a second-round match that lasted 5 hours 9 minutes, Sargsian, an Armenian, outlasted Paul-Henri Mathieu of France, 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (4), in a 4-hour-44-minute marathon last night.

 

"It's like you're in a different world when you win these matches," Sargsian said. "Like right now, I'm talking, I feel like it's not me talking. It's just the words coming out of my mouth. It's a weird feeling."

 

The victory moved Sargsian, 31, into the Round of 16 in a Grand Slam event for only the second time. In eight trips to the United States Open, this is the deepest he has advanced.

 

The unseeded Sargsian will meet a good buddy, sixth-seeded Andre Agassi, in the next round. Sargsian and Agassi often train together in Las Vegas, and Agassi helped Sargsian recover after his five-hour match on Thursday.

 

"He's like a big brother to me," Sargsian said.

 

Agassi, a straight-sets winner over Jiri Novak, has beaten Sargsian five times and will have many advantages in their face-off, the most prominent one being rest. While Agassi has been on the court for 5 hours 6 minutes through the first three rounds, Sargsian has toiled for 12 hours 5 minutes.

 

"It's like a dream to play against such a legend on such a court in such a big tournament," Sargsian said of meeting Agassi for the first time in a Grand Slam event. "Hopefully, I play good. Hopefully, we have a good match. Hopefully, he doesn't kill me."

 

Sargsian's second-round victory over 10th-seeded Nicolas Massu was the second-longest match in United States Open history, falling 17 minutes shy of matching the record set when Stefan Edberg defeated Michael Chang in the 1992 semifinals. After that one, Sargsian thought things would get easier, or at least shorter.

 

"I didn't think it would be a match like this," he said. "It's hard to beat Massu's match. We probably did today."

 

Asked how he has managed to stay on his feet, Sargsian first credited his serve, then realized there was no easy explanation.

 

"I've been serving good," he said. "It prevents me from running side to side a lot. I don't know how I did it."

 

Sargsian admitted to being sore and tight entering the match, and he certainly looked it as Mathieu, 22, took the first two sets. But finding a second wind somewhere, Sargsian rallied to win the next two sets. Then things really got interesting.

 

Sargsian took command by breaking Mathieu's serve to go ahead, 3-2, but he was broken moments later. Both men visibly exhausted, they played even through 10 games, tied at 5-5. The next game, with Mathieu serving, seemingly went on forever, as the two played to eight deuces before Mathieu eventually prevailed.

 

Sargsian, physically and mentally spent, thought he was finished.

 

"After losing that game, I wasn't very confident, to be honest," he said. "But I told myself just to keep fighting."

 

Fight he did, and after falling behind by 30-0, he managed to take the set, then the tie breaker and the match.

 

Sargsian's berth in the fourth round is even more surprising than his career record suggests. Struggling for much of this season, he entered the Open having won back-to-back matches only once this season. His experiences on hardcourts had been awful, with first-round exits in four of his last five events on the surface.

 

But Sargsian, who has advanced to the third round four times at the United States Open, said he was always rejuvenated by this tournament.

 

"In this tournament, I always played unbelievable for some reason - the last four, five years," he said. "This year is a perfect example. I've had a pretty horrendous year. I've really struggled. But coming here, just the atmosphere in the city, which is my favorite city in the world, and this tournament and my fans. I don't know, it just clicked. I just started playing good."

 

And long.

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nairi Newbie

nairi

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Saturday, September 4, 2004

 

An interview with:

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN

 

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

 

Q. Couple of easy matches back to back.

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: Yeah. It's exciting.

 

Q. How tired are you?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: I'm tired, but, I tell you, my legs, they going to hang in there, I think. I think I'm mentally tired, you know, with all this stuff. But just for me the most important thing is my legs.

 

Q. Can you describe your emotions after tonight's match, when you fell to the ground there.

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: You know, it's just such a relief. Such a close match, you want to win so badly. It's one of your biggest matches.  I don't know. It's an amazing feeling, I tell you.

 

Q. Could you ever imagine after the Massu match that you'd come back and have such a similar match in terms of length and excitement?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: I'll tell you, no, definitely not. Definitely I didn't think it would be a match like this. It's hard to beat Massu's match. We probably did today.  So I don't know.

 

Q. Have you stopped smiling since the end of the match?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: I tell you what, when you -- it's like you're in a different world when you win these matches. You don't even always smile. Like right now, I'm talking, I feel like it's not me talking, you know, it's just the words don't come out. It's a weird feeling.

 

Q. Can you try and describe it.

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: Gosh. I don't know, it's tough to describe.

 

Q. You're down two sets tonight. What in you told you you had enough left to come back and win three?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: I just -- the first two sets, I didn't feel like I was playing my best. So that just kept me positive, you know. I always felt like if I would find my game, I would have a good chance to win, even though I was down two sets.  So it was like the whole first three sets, you know, I felt like I was in a search of my game. And I was lucky. I picked it up, my game, in the third and fourth.

 

Q. In 1995, you were one match away from meeting Andre in the Round of 16. At that time it would be a great opportunity. How excited are you to play Andre in a Grand Slam?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: It's like a dream, you know, to play against such a legend on such a court, on such a big tournament.  I don't know. Hopefully I play good. Hopefully we have a good match. Hopefully he doesn't kill me (smiling). I don't know. Hopefully I'm fresh for that match.

 

Q. Did you speak with him in the last days?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: Yeah. I've spoken to him every day. He's actually been unbelievable helpful to me. After Massu's match, he helped me out with some electrolytes, with some pills to recover, which he's been using. He's just an amazing friend.  I actually spoke to him five minutes ago. He says he's going to help me out tomorrow also, even though we play each other. I don't know.

 

Q. Is it because of the Armenian roots, one of the reasons why you get along very well with him?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: Maybe. Maybe it is a reason, but I don't think so. I mean, I don't know. You should ask him why. I mean, because we are friends - I've said this before - because we are friends, it's because he wants to be my friend. He is Agassi, everybody wants to be friends with him. To me, he's like a big brother, you know. He's an unbelievably nice guy. He's an unbelievable friend, as good of a friend as you can possibly have.  I just look at him as a big brother. The way he talks to people, the way he treats good people, the way he treats bad people, the way he talks, the way he behaves, just I don't know. He's -- I love the guy.

 

Q. If you had to put your finger on his very best quality, the thing you really like the best about him, what would you say?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: His heart. He has an amazing heart.

 

Q. What's it like to practice with him?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: It's good practice (smiling). The intensity's as high as it possibly can get. It's the best practice you can get.

 

Q. Are your matches being televised back in Armenia? Are people at home able to watch any of this?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: I don't know. I don't know.

 

Q. We don't know too much about Armenia. Is there a special bond amongst Armenians in the USA? What's the best quality of the Armenian people?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: They're very friendly people. They're the kind of people that, let's say if you're a guest or something, you will be treated -- I say they will open the best bottle of wine for you. They will not drink it themselves.  It's very, I don't know, very good people.

 

Q. Who is the most famous athlete in Armenia?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: Agassi.

 

Q. Who is the most famous Armenian athlete? Not you?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: I don't know. I mean, I don't know. There's so many. It's hard to say. It's only Armenians, play for other countries. Armenian who is playing for Armenia?

 

Q. Just any sport. Is there a soccer player, boxer?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: Do you want me to say me?

 

Q. I'm curious.

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: We don't have one that really stands out. Put it this way.

 

Q. If I understand correctly, you're based in Florida. Have you had any contacts with the tennis playing community in Burbank, California?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: Yes, I do. Actually my coach, who has been coaching me since I was 7 years old up until I came to the US when I was 20, he lives in Burbank. I have a couple other very close friends who also live there. I played a challenger there actually before. I've been there a couple times. So I know a lot of people. I do speak to them sometimes, once in a while. I do have a lot of contacts there.

 

Q. Do you think they're celebrating in Burbank?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: I'm sure. I'm sure.

 

Q. Your style seems to lend itself to these long matches. Do you make conditioning a big thing? Do you consider yourself extremely well-conditioned for a tennis player?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: I think so. I think I have good genetics. I think that's the most important. I was born lucky. I'm very fast on the court. I have a body that doesn't get injured a lot.  So, yeah, those are the most important: the speed and endurance, which I have worked on it before. And with my game, too, I definitely need to do some runnings. It's definitely one of my weapons, my condition.

 

Q. What's the coolest thing the USTA executive Arlen Kantarian has said about tennis and you?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: What's the coolest thing he said about tennis in Armenia?

 

Q. Or you.

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: About me? I don't understand the question.

 

Q. Has Arlen spoken to you?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: Yeah. He's a great guy, too. I've spoken to him almost every day here. He's actually been helping me out a little bit with the tickets for my Armenian fans. Him and Jim Curley, too, they've been amazing.

 

Q. It helps to have Armenians in high places?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: Oh, yeah. I tell you this, this tournament, I always played unbelievable, for some reason the last four, five years. Even like this year is a perfect example. I've had, I consider, a pretty horrendous year. I really struggled.  But coming here, you don't even -- like I didn't feel like I was coming here in a good condition, like I was in a good form. But just the atmosphere in the city, which is my favorite city in the world, and this tournament and my fans, I don't know, it just clicked. I just start playing good.

 

Q. Knowing how much Andre would like to win another Slam, especially here, as good a friend as you are, would you feel bad if you beat him on Monday?

 

SARGIS SARGSIAN: No, no, no. I want to win badly. I'm not going to feel bad. Yeah, I'm definitely going to give my best and I'm sure he's going to give his best, too. If I lose, then I really hope he wins the tournament. But if I win, I'll be happy.

 

FastScripts by ASAP Sports...

 

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/interview...4391634846.html

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gurgen Newbie

gurgen

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Yeah well the one here kept saying Sarkhis Sarkhsian. And he never mentioned that Agassi was Armenian too, but he did say that Charles Aznavour was from Armenia (???).

style_images/master/snapback.png

 

That was the one on Eurosport right? I thought he sounded more educated than the goons on RTL5.

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nairi Newbie

nairi

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That was the one on Eurosport right? I thought he sounded more educated than the goons on RTL5.
style_images/master/snapback.png

 

Haha, yeah, Eurosport :) Did they show the whole match on RTL5? Seems like they only started at 10pm.. The match was already halfway through. I didn't bother switching channels.

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sev-mard Newbie

sev-mard

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Agassi just won. Sargsian had knee problem and the damn commentator kept calling him Sarge instead of Sargis . Really annoying for some reason.

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I thought so too watching the recap on the News this morning. Get his name right, geez. Nobody from the producers' booth or wherever was telling him that he was misprouncing it? :huh:

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nairi Newbie

nairi

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The Eurosport coverage wasn't bad at all.

But you had a German guy talking, no?

 

Mijn Nederlands is heel beperkt. Ik verstaa de taal maar ik heb vele moeilijkheden bij het spreken.

Ach so. Nou ja, je Nederlands is niet eens zo slecht. Misschien wordt het tijd dat we dit bord nederlandstalig maken :) What do you say Gurgen? :)

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Nakharar Newbie

Nakharar

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Yes, I watched the German version of course. But you can switch languages if it isn't over satellite.

But I guess that they never heared of Armenia before. Not a single mention, unless of course they talked about Sargis country of origin.

 

Ik ben helemaal akkoord met deze idee. We moeten de rest ignoreren.

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nairi Newbie

nairi

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Yes, I watched the German version of course. But you can switch languages if it isn't over satellite.
style_images/master/snapback.png

 

They changed that here <_< You could switch to English if you wanted, but now there's only one option: Dutch. So the interviews with Sargsian were drowned in Dutch. Really annoying!!! Unless it's my TV (it's pretty old, but it used to work on it)...

 

I'm really impressed by your Dutch. I don't speak a word of German, expect sheiße, ach so and tschüss.. B)

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gurgen Newbie

gurgen

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Misschien wordt het tijd dat we dit bord nederlandstalig maken :) What do you say Gurgen? :)

style_images/master/snapback.png

 

Prima plan :)

 

Ik ben helemaal akkoord met deze idee. We moeten de rest ignoreren.

style_images/master/snapback.png

 

Wat een dope taal. Kom je toevallig uit Spijkenisse? :D

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gurgen Newbie

gurgen

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You broke my heart now.  :crybaby:

 

Where on earth is Spijkenisse? I have a sneaking suspicion that this is where Dutch hillbillies come from.  :)

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It's more like a place where people like this come from:

http://www.schooljournals.net/arcade4/medi...0PP/gabbers.jpg

 

:D

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