Tennis' young trio 'trying to keep it alive'

The Associated Press
Published Tuesday, November 18, 2003

HOUSTON -- Even Andre Agassi acknowledges it: Tennis needs a boost in the United States.

Well, there's hope, thanks to new stars Andy Roddick, Roger Federer and Juan Carlos Ferrero. They closed the 2003 season atop the rankings, divvied up the last three Grand Slam titles, and seem ready to dominate for years.

Sports thrive on rivalries, and Roddick-Federer-Ferrero fits the bill.

"There's a few good young players around, and I think they can bring kind of a new wave into tennis and hopefully bring more popularity again," Federer said Sunday night after overwhelming Agassi 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 to win the Tennis Masters Cup.

"It seems like tennis has been going down. But I feel like we're trying to keep it alive and make it even better."

TV ratings for tennis are decreasing, and there aren't many familiar faces. But with some patience the excitement Roddick, Federer and Ferrero -- all are under 24 -- generate ought to approach what Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg did for tennis in the 1970s and '80s, and what Pete Sampras and Agassi did in the 1990s.

"America is definitely a tough market. We have a lot of great sports and a lot of heroes and sports heroes. Obviously, Andy's stepping up this year is going to be great for the interest of tennis in America," said Agassi, who's 33.

"It's been an amazing time coming off the McEnroe-Connors era, to myself and Pete and (Michael) Chang and (Jim) Courier. It always had a real strong base here, and that's lost a little bit of its depth in the American market.

"But Andy's definitely going to help a lot."

Roddick's U.S. Open title helped him gain a foothold in popular culture. He hosted "Saturday Night Live" -- something McEnroe never did, which he noted while making an appearance with Roddick -- and shot a "Got Milk?" ad. He also happens to be dating actress-singer Mandy Moore.

It helps, of course, that he's from this country. But Europeans such as Boris Becker and Borg have gained followings, as should Federer.

The Swiss star does everything well on court, and with an apparent effortlessness that Agassi likened to that of Sampras.

"He has a game that can get around a lot of different types of players," Agassi said, "and that's what's required in order to win a lot of Slams."

And collecting Slams is what's required to become a star. Borg's five straight titles at Wimbledon made him an icon. Sampras will be remembered for his record 14 major championships. Agassi's 58 career titles wouldn't mean nearly as much to him -- or us -- if they didn't include a career Slam.

That's why tennis' immediate future might be bright.

Unlike the recent surprises when Thomas Johansson and Albert Costa -- it's OK to ask, "Who?" -- won majors, it's quite possible that coming seasons will feature Roddick, Federer and Ferrero alternately hoisting the four most important trophies. Roddick is best on hard courts, Federer on grass, Ferrero on clay.

Lleyton Hewitt will be in the mix, too, if he returns to what he was in 2001-02, the only man younger than Roddick to end a year at No. 1.

"Each of them has the game and the personality to appeal to young audiences and grow the popularity of the sport," ATP chief executive Mark Miles said.

"What remains to be seen is how quickly that will transpire, and that in no small part will be due to how well they do on court."

Roddick's type of play and 'tude are made for "SportsCenter." Fans love a home run, and Roddick is the master of his sport's equivalent.

He wallops blink-and-you-miss-it forehands, flicks shots between his legs, dials the on-court mph meter into the 140s, and high-five fans in the stands.

Here's the rub: Federer and Ferrero carry more subtle games and personas.

They glide around the court, painting matches with sweeping strokes. So it's harder to pinpoint the spectacular, and you won't see them trying to juice a crowd.

"You're really dealing with intangibles and X-factors," Agassi said. "While Federer's demeanor is sort of phenomenally consistent out there, it's also one that's easily respected. He plays the game very gracefully. He could bring a style that would capture people's imagination, no question."

The contrast between the low-key Federer and effusive Roddick could be good for the game. It also could be detrimental.

After the Tennis Masters Cup final, tournament promoter Jim McIngvale thanked the fans repeatedly, then lavished praise on Agassi, who stood a few feet away.

Where was Federer? Seated on a sideline changeover bench, literally out of the spotlight. He received only a cursory mention at the end of McIngvale's speech, making the night's champion almost an afterthought.

That's not a good sign.

