"Does the guy think he beat me or buried me"- When Andre Agassi recalled Tommy Haas' comments after beating him at Wimbledon
Andre Agassi underwent a period of resurgence in 1998 after dropping to 141st in the WTA rankings in the previous year.
The American entered Wimbledon 1998 as the 13th seed after suffering an opening-round exit at the French Open. He won his opening match 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 against Alex Calatrava and was next up against teenager Tommy Haas.
Agassi won the opening set 6-4 but the German fought back to take the next three sets 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-4 and book his place in the third round of the grasscourt Major for the very first time in his career.
Andre Agassi wrote about Haas' comments after the match in his book "Open: An Autobiography. The American claimed that the German, who called him his idol growing up, spoke in a manner that made his statements sound like a eulogy.
The former World No. 1 added that he wasn't sure if Haas thought he defeated him or buried him.
"Afterward, he tells reporters he grew up idolizing me. I used to look up to Agassi, he says—it’s a very special win for me because he won Wimbledon in 1992 and I can say I beat Andre Agassi, a former number one who’s won a couple of Grand Slams. It sounds like a eulogy. Does the guy think he beat me or buried me? And did anyone in the press room bother to tell him I’ve actually won three slams?" Agassi wrote.
Tommy Haas' journey at Wimbledon 1998 came to an end in the third round when he lost 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to John van Lottum.
Andre Agassi won six out of 10 matches against Tommy Haas
Andre Agassi and Tommy Haas locked horns on 10 occasions, with the American leading 6-4 in the head-to-head.
The first meeting between the two came in the semifinals of the 1998 Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic, with Agassi winning 6-2, 6-1. That year's Wimbledon fixture was their only encounter at a Grand Slam.
The only time the two squared off in a final was at the 2002 Italian Open, where Agassi registered a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 win to clinch the Masters 1000 event.
The last meeting between Andre Agassi and Tommy Haas came in the third round of the 2006 Pacific Life Open (now known as the BNP Paribas Open) in Indian Wells, with the German winning 7-5, 6-2.