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Ailing Agassi targets Becker
01/09/2006 17:55 - (SA)
New York - Andre Agassi was on Friday carefully weighing up the options before him as he battled to keep his US Open dream alive.
The 36-year-old American came through a brutal five-setter second round tie against young Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis in a match that finished well after midnight and left him sore all over and barely able to walk.
He had needed pain-killing cortisone injections to calm the pain from a bulging disc in his back just to be able to walk on to the court and was huddling with his advisors to decide if he shook take more.
"We're making some adjustments - some anti-inflammatory options," he said after seeing off Baghdatis 6-4 6-4 3-6 5-7 7-5 in three hours 48 minutes of pulsating tennis.
"Believe me, I'll exhaust all possibilities short of taking too many risks for the long term.
"I do want to make sure I give myself the best look here, but I don't want to compromise the rest of my life."
The problem for Agassi and his handlers is that cortisone is effective in treating chronic injuries like the back condition that has dogged the American for the last 18 months, but it must be used in a tightly-controlled manner.
Doctors recommend no more nine cortisone shots in a lifetime and would be aghast at anyone taking two in the same week.
The drug can mask an injury, break down tissue and inhibit healing. Injections to the spinal area can also cause nerve-root damage.
But with Agassi pledged to retire from the sport after the tournament, the stakes are high.
On the plus side, Agassi's next opponent on Saturday is Benjamin Becker, a 25-year-old German who shares a surname with his famous compatriot Boris but little else.
Ranked 112th in the world, Becker has not won a single ATP title and is playing in only his second Grand Slam tournament.
He made it through to the third round with a shock straight sets win over 30th seeded Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean.
A win over Becker could set Agassi up for a last 16 round showdown with compatriot Andy Roddick early next week.
- AFP
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