Houston (USA), Nov 19: Fleet-footed Agassi credits his trainer, veteran Las Vegas boxing workout man Gil Reyes, for his longevity. Agassi became the eldest world number one this year at age 33 after slipping as low as 141st in the rankings in 1997.
"He has kept me out here," Agassi said of Reyes. "We've been together 14 years. He has kept me getting better as an athlete, consistently. He has helped me through some pretty difficult times. He is the reason why I am still here."
Superior fitness has contributed to Agassi remaining competitive with rivals more than 10 years younger.
"My age is irrelevant when I'm on the court," Agassi said. "The tennis speaks for itself. There's no guesswork out there. You can't bluff your way through anything. I can't get around being 33."

Agassi is the last star of his generation near the top while Roddick's rise has come as a new set of stars has taken command and after he dumped Frenchman Tarik Benhabiles as his coach for Gilbert after a first-round French Open loss.


Bureau Report