Agassi’s Commitment Still Strong

Andre Agassi’s hip is fine for now, and so is his career, thank you very much.

Agassi made both clear Monday when he met with reporters to discuss his appearance in the Mercedes-Benz Cup at the Los Angeles Tennis Center at UCLA.

Speculation that Agassi might retire after the U.S. Open has run rampant recently in tennis circles, fueled by his withdrawal from Wimbledon last month because of a sore right hip.

Pundits jumped at the opportunity to proclaim Agassi, 34, washed up. Several publications reported that he might not play the U.S. Open. But Agassi chuckled Monday when asked about retirement.

“I have no plans of retiring after the U.S. Open,” he said. “I don’t think about how to sort of choreograph the end of my career. I hope I don’t have to worry about that for a while.”

Perhaps his hip might force him to think about it sooner than he’d like.

Agassi said it feels good this week, but acknowledged that the injury has been a chronic problem for “a couple of years.” A recent MRI exam revealed that he has a torn labrum caused by years of wear and tear.

The problem with this type of hip injury is that it’s fickle. Sometimes it flares up, causes “biting pain” and forces him to alter the way he moves on the court.

Other times, it’s benign, almost going into hibernation.

“I don’t know what’s in store for me, and I’m tired of guessing to be quite honest,” Agassi said. “I don’t know necessarily what can cause the irritation or inflammation, but when it’s there it’s a handicap that just doesn’t allow you to compete at this level. When it’s not there, I feel great on the court.”

His results so far this season suggest those polar opposites. He reached the semifinals at the Australian Open, San Jose and Indian Wells to start this season. His hip flared up and he sat out most of the European clay-court season leading up to the French Open. At Roland Garros, he lost in the first round to little-known Jerome Haehnel of France.

He has lost in his opening match in three consecutive tournaments and last won at the Masters Series event in Key Biscayne, Fla., in late March.

The fear of reawakening his injury causes angst.

“I’m feeling good and strong and it’s nice to feel that way, but I’m sort of a little fatigued as to hoping that everything continues to stay that way,” he said. “It’s disappointing when it doesn’t stay that way, when all of a sudden you realize that you’re dealing with something that’s a little more chronic than you wish it was.”

Agassi’s losing streak has prevented the eight-time Grand Slam champion from reaching a career milestone.

He plays Alex Bogomolov in his first-round match tonight at 7:30 and should he win, it will be his 800th match victory. He’ll join Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Guillermo Vilas, John McEnroe and Stefan Edberg as the only players to reach that plateau.

Agassi, 34, used words such as “uncomfortable,” “frustrating” and “disappointing” in the same sentence when he talked about skipping Wimbledon.

“It is my commitment to go as long and as hard as I can,” he said. “I owe this game as much as I can give it. A lot of times I’m challenged by that commitment, but I don’t lose sight of the fact that that’s the way I want it to be.

“If it’s my body that decides that it’s enough, then I’ll find a way to live with it. But there is nothing medically right now that would suggest this is something I can’t get through.”

Still, Agassi couldn’t help but glow when he discussed his eventual transition to full-time dad.

“Kids are the greatest distraction in the world,” he said. “When your son falls down and almost breaks his nose, it can make you forget about Wimbledon pretty quick.”