When Flag Is Up, Agassi Comes Through : Davis Cup: He beats Novacek in deciding match after Sampras loses to Korda.

The wisdom and wit of Andre Agassi, not to mention the wicked cross-court forehands, were very much in evidence Sunday when the 21-year-old once again bailed out the U.S. Davis Cup team.

Now, presenting Philosophy, the Andre Agassi version:

“There are two things I live by,” Agassi said. “Number one, you can never drive too far for Taco Bell; and number two, you can never beat somebody too bad, especially in Davis Cup.”

Words to live by, to be sure. And at least half came true against a determined bunch of Czechs, who forced a 2-2 tie in the quarterfinal round, then stood by helplessly as Agassi won it for the United States, beating Karel Novacek, 7-6 (7-5), 6-0, 6-0.

Agassi won the last 13 games to close out the match with a flourish. He immediately fell flat on his face on the court. Soon, he was propped up by teammate John McEnroe, who grabbed an American flag and took off on a celebratory victory lap with Agassi trailing a couple of steps behind.

The day’s only misfortune for the United States, not counting Pete Sampras’ disturbing four-set upset loss to Petr Korda, was when the flag separated from the pole when McEnroe gave it a ferocious wave.

Undaunted, McEnroe dropped the pole, picked up the flag and continued circling the court with Agassi beside him. In his news conference afterward, Agassi did all but wrap himself in that flag.

“When you stick me in the situation where my match is going to decide whether we move on and possibly win (the Davis Cup) again, I want it, I want it more than anything else in tennis,” Agassi said.

It was probably a good thing he felt that way. Agassi’s heroics became necessary after Sampras missed a chance to clinch the victory in his singles match against Korda, losing, 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.

So like last September in the deciding match against Germany in the Davis Cup semifinal, the last U.S. hopes rested squarely on the bandanna-wrapped brow of the Lamborghini-loving Las Vegan, who dotes on fast cars and fast food.

And just as when he mashed Carl-Uwe Steeb in Kansas City, Mo., Agassi manhandled Novacek.

Agassi missed 11 break points and six set points before closing out the tight first set in the tiebreaker, aided by a controversial call that gave him a 4-2 lead. The point in question revolved around a drop shot that Agassi caught up with, sending it cross-court and depositing it on the line near chair umpire Zoltan Bogner.

Novacek thought it was out: “Terrible call.”

U.S. captain Tom Gorman thought it was in: “In my mind, he made it.”

In any event, it was the turning point of the match. Agassi eventually took the set on his seventh set point after 1 hour 4 minutes. The next two sets lasted an hour.

Gorman said he began to breathe easier once Agassi won the tiebreaker. During the changeover, he informed Agassi that Novacek was ripe.

“I told Andre that physically, this guy is a horse, he can stay out there all day, but I think mentally, that’s where you are going to be getting him,” Gorman said.

Novacek said he was totally upset because of the disputed point in the tiebreaker and certainly played as if something was bothering him. He won six points in the second set, 17 points in the third set, made a total of 64 unforced errors and was generally miserable.

“He was completely out of it,” Czech captain Tomas Smid said.

As for the Davis Cup semifinals, the United States is completely in it. Sweden is next.

The match against Sweden is scheduled Sept. 25-27, with the Target Center in Minneapolis apparently on the inside track to play host.

Sampras was totally off the track, led astray by a balky serve. He had 13 aces, only four fewer than his three-set victory over Novacek on Friday, but he got in only 52% of his first serves and won points on only half of his advances to the net.

“I just didn’t have it,” Sampras said. “When I’m not serving well, my whole game isn’t quite as good.”

At the very least, Sampras did not help his chances for playing against Sweden. Gorman said Agassi and McEnroe are assured places on the team and hinted strongly that Jim Courier would join Agassi as the singles players, probably on a red clay surface.

Agassi’s spot became even more secure after his rescue job Sunday.

“I’m not sure if there’s anything to describe the pressure you feel when it boils down to you and your country,” Agassi said. “It’s unequaled.

“Once it gets that close, anything’s possible,” he said. “I’m just glad it went my way.”