There was a curious smile on Andre Agassi’s face as he shook hands with his Spanish conqueror Thursday and exited the French Open three victories short of his destination. It was as if he somehow approved of the manner in which he had beaten.
It was a fully matured Agassi that accepted defeat without anger or invective after being dismantled by Juan Carlos Ferrero, the leading character in the wave of Spaniards who have descended on the semifinals.
Spain has three of its finest lined up for the homestretch and you could make that four if you cared to grant honorary Spaniard status to 6-foot-4-inch Russian Marat Safin, who spent most of his youth training in Valencia.
“Ferrero stepped up his game more than me being deflated,” Agassi said after this 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 loss. “You’ve got to give him credit for the way he played.”
