Agassi, McEnroe, Courier, Blake –Â a night of tennis in Portland worth watching
Published 12:00 am Thursday, October 24, 2013
- Jim Courier also is scheduled to play in Portland on Feb. 27 when the PowerShares Tennis Series makes one of its 12 stops in the United States in 2014.
Portland has been the scene of some memorable moments in the sport of tennis — Davis Cup ties in 1981, ’84 and ’97, a couple of seasons of World Team Tennis, the pro debut of 14-year-old Tracy Austin, the pro breakthrough of 17-year-old Boris Becker and exhibitions featuring most of the game’s greats, including Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Ilie Nastase, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl and Monica Seles.
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The PowerShares Series tour stop at the Moda Center next Feb. 27 trumps none of those. But for a city starved for major events — especially in tennis — I’ll sign on quickly as an advocate.
John McEnroe, Agassi, Jim Courier and James Blake will display their talents in what I’d label a competitive exhibition as part of a 12-city tour involving former greats over the age of 30.
The players will square off at the MC in a pair of one-set semifinal matches, with the survivors playing a one-set final.
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The tour involves a Who’s Who of men’s tennis since the 1970s, including Pete Sampras, Connors, Andy Roddick, Mats Wilander and Lendl. Sampras, Connors and Roddick would be fun to watch, but I think Portland did well with the quartet that will play here.
Between Agassi (eight), McEnroe (seven) and Courier (four), there are 19 Grand Slam singles championships and a boat load of history in their sport.
Three eras are covered with Blake (33), Agassi and Courier (both 43) and McEnroe (54). Courier — the man most responsible for putting together the tour — said during a Thursday teleconference the age disparity will still work.
For instance, “we won’t put Roddick (31) up against Connors (61)”, Courier said. “That isn’t going to be that competitive. Not that Jimmy isn’t a great player or champion, but the age difference is significant.
“You’ll see a very competitive night of tennis no matter where you are on the tour. We’ll have some cross-generational matches. Johnny Mac is going to make things difficult for anyone of any generation because of how he’s able to play. I see nothing but great matches and great competition.”
I’m not sure I’d go that far. But the skills displayed at the MC will be worth watching.
Blake is only a year removed from the ATP circuit, having retired after the 2013 U.S. Open. Agassi and Courier are young enough that their talents haven’t diminished all that much. And McEnroe, Agassi insists, is still worth the watch.
“John is remarkable,” he said. “All of us would sign up to be in his shape and his talent given his age. “I’d sign up for it right now, to be doing what he’s doing.
“What he’s done up to now is pretty darn impressive. He can neutralize power. He can make someone very uncomfortable … that’s because of his talent and how well he keeps himself in shape. He plays every day. He has a passion for the game that is almost unparalleled. He brings that intensity to the court, sometimes against my wishes. I wish he could enjoy it more, but maybe that is his way of enjoying it.”
McEnroe, Agassi and Blake have a relationship with Portland in their tennis past.
Johnny Mac was the star of the U.S. team that beat Australia in the Davis Cup semifinals here in 1981 and ’84 and has a building named for him on Nike’s Beaverton campus.
Agassi is a Nike guy, too, and has played here several times over the years. He is ticketed to play on only two stops on the PowerShares Series tour — in Houston and Portland, the latter a charity event for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
“I wanted to play Portland because of what cancer research does,” said Agassi, who lives in Las Vegas. “I’ll always support that. And I’ve grown really attached to Portland. .. my relationship with Nike has a lot to do with it, too, no question. It’s a way for me to make most use of a very delicately balanced personal life. You have to make the most of that time when you’re away from your family.”
Blake and Roddick were members of the U.S. team that beat Russia in the Davis Cup finals at Memorial Coliseum in 2007, Blake scoring a pair of singles victories in the tie.
“One my fondest memories as a player was to be part of that team,” Blake said. “The support we got in the Portland community was second to none, the excitement we felt in that stadium. … That was the perfect ending to a journey that we started in 2001 with (U.S. Davis Cup captain) Patrick McEnroe.
“I’m looking toward to going back there. I had a great time there and can’t wait to have some more memories there.”
Agassi and Blake are forever intertwined in one of the most riveting matches in pro tennis history — in the 2005 U.S. Open quarterfinals, when a 35-year-old Agassi rallied from two sets down to beat Blake 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6.
“I wasn’t the winner; tennis was,” Agassi said after the match.
The Portland event, Blake offered with a chuckle, “is going to be a little less stressful than the match I played with Andre at the Open.”
In his autobiography “Open” — one of the finest sports books I’ve had the privilege to read — Agassi professed a disdain for the sport that made him rich and famous. Maybe the years since his retirement in 2006 have caused him to reassess his feelings.
The PowerShare Series tour, he said, “has been a great platform for me to stay engaged with the game of tennis. It’s been a very high priority in my life. Tennis has given me a platform to do so many things. I’ve struggled to find ways to stay involved that don’t take too much time away from my family and the balance of life.
“What Jim has created … is an opportunity for guys like me and James to get out on the road for a night and prepare for this, have an excuse to stay in shape. We go to these places and enjoy that level of engagement … and go to places where tennis really should be and isn’t.”
That’s Portland.
We’re not going to witness any of these players in peak form. It will still be fun to watch, much like seeing Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson and some of the greats who visited here well past their prime in the Fred Meyer Challenge and Champions Tour events.
Chris McGowan, the Trail Blazers’ CEO and the man now responsible for bringing entertainment to the Moda Center, has added Arena Football and now the PowerShare Series to the city’s sports lineup. Until we get an NHL or Major League baseball franchise, such nuggets are a step in the right direction that deserve our attention.
kerryeggers@portlandtribune.com
Twitter: @kerryeggers