For the second straight day, rain wreaked havoc with the U.S. Open, and if the weather reports are to be believed, today’s and tomorrow’s schedules could be disrupted as well. And few players have been hurt as much by the rain as top-seeded Andre Agassi, who had his fifth-round match with Taylor Dent postponed yesterday.
Agassi had to complete his fourth-round match – which began Saturday – Sunday, while Dent was able to finish his upset of 15th-ranked Fernando Gonzalez on Saturday. Then, Agassi’s match with the 22-year-old Californian, scheduled for yesterday afternoon, was the first to be officially washed into today.
“It makes for a long day. For the match to get called and to be the only match that didn’t finish [Saturday], I think was a mistake, an oversight in judgment,” Agassi had groused at the time. He is 2-0 against Dent, but wasn’t expecting a cakewalk against the up-and-coming American.
“At that age you’re getting better all the time, so I go out there expecting him to be playing a great match. Anything shy of a great match I’m hoping doesn’t get it done for him.”
Dent is having his best U.S. Open. His fourth round appearance is not only his best result, but better than his famous father, former Aussie great Phil Dent, a top 20 player who reached the Australian Open final and the Wimbledon quarters. Naturally, Dent let dad hear about it.
“I told him. I had to make sure he was aware,” Dent said with an impish grin. “He was actually very happy for me.”
With the rain washing out his match, Dent hung out in the lounge playing a miniature golf game. (“I’ve got nothing better to do,” he shrugged.) For the day, golf and cards and video games replaced tennis.
It’s taken Dent five years to reach this point, far longer than the headstrong Californian thought it would when he joined the tour.
He has a booming 130 mph serve, but he’ll never beat Agassi unless he volleys well. And he’ll never win a Slam until he becomes more consistent, a lesson he’s learning.
“I would’ve been surprised if you’d said [it would take five years] to me when I turned pro, just because I thought I was ready to do it,” Dent said. “But if you asked me now, I’m not that surprised, because my consistency hasn’t been there.
“To continually play at this level, your consistency has to be there. That’s the big thing I’m working on. If I can get there, I’ll be able to compete every day.”
If he does that, the 73rd-ranked Dent might be able to rival the accomplishments of his famous father, or of other young Americans like Andy Roddick or James Blake. But he said he’s never had a rivalry with his dad.
“My dad at a very young age made sure that I didn’t get compared to him; that’s too much pressure,” said Dent, whose father stepped away from coaching him at 17. “He forewarned me from the beginning; he told me not to even think that way.”
Dent also doesn’t put pressure on himself to match the results of the fourth-ranked Roddick or the popular Yonkers-born Blake.
“That’s like the comparisons to my dad,” Dent said. “Andy’s one of the top five in the world, and my results have been patchy. As soon as I get consistent I can play with the world’s top players.”
