Monday, July 28, 1997
Courier breaks through to win title
Former Bruin Justin Gimelstob defeats Andre Agassi in
first-round homecoming
TENNIS:By Mark Shapiro
Daily Bruin Staff
It was probably the perfect three-week vacation for Jim Courier.
After his struggles this year prompted a three-week respite,
Courier came out of hibernation at the Infiniti Open.
In only his second final of the year and first tournament after
his self-imposed sabbatical, sixth seeded Courier cruised to the
championship with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Thomas Enqvist of
Sweden.
"It’s nice to show up on a Sunday and actually be playing in a
final," Courier said. "I feel very solid about the way I played
this week. I tried to take the offensive as much as I could, and I
think I was pretty successful."
Throughout the week, the heavy groundstrokes that carried
Courier to the No. 1 ranking in the world in 1992 returned with a
vengeance. He steamrolled past Grant Stafford and Mahesh Bhupathi
in the first two rounds, then downed defending champion Richard
Krajicek in the quarterfinals and top seed Goran Ivanisevic in the
semifinals before his duel with Enqvist.
Enqvist also had a relatively easy road to the finals, facing no
seeded players along the way. In his first tournament after tearing
tendons in his ankle, Enqvist dropped nary a set en route to the
final.
His run came to an end as Courier’s baseline bombardments
overwhelmed the second seed.
While it was Courier that managed to walk away with the crown,
the match that was on everyone’s lips throughout the week was
former Bruin Justin Gimelstob’s first round 7-5, 6-2 upset of
former world No. 1 Andre Agassi before an energized center-court
crowd.
In only his second match after returning from wrist surgery,
Agassi was searching for a better result than his previous effort,
a first round exit at the Legg Mason Invitational.
Against Gimelstob, who was making his homecoming to the LATC
after his first year on tour, Agassi again hit a first round
stumbling block, as he ran aground against the all-court play that
made Gimelstob a collegiate All-American and has him poised to
break into the top 100 in the world.
"Justin played well, he didn’t make as many errors as I’ve seen
him make in the past" Agassi said. "I didn’t capitalize on the
opportunities I had. I’ve got to take the next step from here."
Gimelstob was unable to build on the momentum that he gained
with his triumph as he fell in the second round to Byron Black 7-6,
6-2.
The harsh comedown was nothing new for Gimelstob who has
struggled in his first year on the tour.
Gimelstob, who lost only two matches in his final year of
college tennis, has gone 9-15 this year. Mixed in with that glut of
losses were some disheartening first-round defeats to second-tier
players like Bryan Shelton and Rainier Shuttler.
"It’s tough, I’m not used to losing as much as I’ve been doing,"
Gimelstob said. "I have had to learn how to deal with it; it’s
something I don’t do so well."
Certainly there have been big wins, like one over Mark
Philippoussis in the Hopman Cup, or his first-round defeat of
French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten at Wimbledon. But Gimelstob
lacks the consistency to bring that level of play to every
match.
"It shows (I am) capable of playing with the best players, it’s
just a matter of doing it consistently," Gimelstob said.
"I’ve beaten some good players … and I’ve lost to some bad
players, so I just go out and try and do my thing."
PATRICK LAM/Daily Bruin
Jim Courier returns the ball against Sweden’s Thomas Enqvist
during the Infiniti Open final, which Courier won 6-4, 6-4. See
related story page 35.