Saturday, March 13, 2010

Hit for Haiti: Did Agassi Cross the Line?



What was supposed to be a charitable event to benefit those who have suffered from the disaster in Haiti went a little farther than it should have, and Andre Agassi was the culprit.

Andre, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Pete Sampras gathered in the 2nd doubles match, and although it is subjective as to whether Agassi crossed boundaries with his humor, one thing was for sure: he always packs the drama.

Rafa paired with Andre and Roger with Pete, and once Agassi started ripping forehands, which appeared to have been aimed straight at his opponents' chests, it was apparent that this match didn't have the vibe of a friendly exhibition. All 4 players had mics hooked up to them to increase the intimacy, and when Justin Gimelstob asked Andre on a changeover what he though of his wife, Steffi Graf's, performance (in the opening doubles match), the American responded, "You mean on the court?"

Of course, this was just a prelude to just how testy things actually got on the court. Andre was obviously very outspoken in his autobiography released late last year, but no one expected him to bring up the matters he discussed in the book on the tennis court. Unfortunately, he just HAD to do it. The 8-time major champion called out Sampras on being too quiet and even had the guts to mention the rumors that the fellow American wasn't a good tipper, to which Pete kept quiet and replied with a monster serve, later assuring the crowd he tips very, very well.

Now, it seems to me like being retired from tennis has Agassi longing for the spotlight, and righting a tell-all along with his controversial doings at the "Hit for Haiti" event clearly back up that offense.

What do you guys think? Did Agassi cross the line?

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