"Andre Agassi got fixated on his shoe" - Former Wimbledon runner-up recalls incident while facing the former World No. 1
Former Wimbledon runner-up MaliVai Washington recently recalled a curious incident during his match against Andre Agassi at the 1995 Essen ATP Masters 1000. Washington remembered Agassi having a strange fixation on his shoe during their encounter.
The duo met each other in the Round of 16 of the Masters 1000 tournament. Agassi won the opening set and looked competent enough to clinch the win. However, the former World No. 1 started to show signs of discomfort with his shoes, even changing to another pair after the second set, which he lost 1-6. Agassi eventually lost the match to Washington.
Washington recently recollected the incident in an interview with former player Rennae Stubbs. He acknowledged that Agassi was better than him that day and that the shoe distraction was a key factor in helping him beat the 8-time Grand Slam champion.
"The last time we played, we played in Essen, Germany. I took him down. But you wanna hear what's funny? It's not because I was better than him, Flat out he was better than me, no questioning that. But, in that match, something happened to his shoe. Literally his shoe and he got fixated on his shoe and he couldn't let it go. So, he wins the first set and then I beat him in straight sets after that," Washington said.
Washington also remembered another occassion where he got the better of Agassi.
"I had Andre at one of our charity events. And during our charity event, he talked about him actually beating me. But, since it's actually my charity event, I get the microphone last. So, I actually told a story about how we were 11 years old in San Diego, California, I beat him 6-3, 6-3, that was the first time we had ever played," he added.
A look at Andre Agassi and MaliVai Washington's head-to-head record
Andre Agassi and MaliVai Washington have squared off on eight occasions on the tour. The former leads 6-2 in the head-to-head record. Their first meeting saw Agassi secure a semifinal win over the former World No. 11 at the 1991 Orlando Open.
Apart from his win at the German Masters, Washington's only other triumph over Agassi came at the 1994 Atlanta Open. He beat Agassi 6-4, 7-5 in the quarterfinal.
The 1995 Essen ATP Masters 1000 recorded their last ever meeting on the tour. Andre Agassi retired from professional tennis in 2006, seven years after Washington called time on his career.