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Agassi aiming to break Ashe's record ( 2003-06-27 10:19) (Agencies)
Andre Agassi has accumulated many records during his distinguished 17-year professional career and he is eyeing another at this year's Wimbledon. The American became the oldest man to be ranked number one when he reclaimed the top spot earlier this month and should he live up to his seeding at the All England Club, he will be crowned oldest Wimbledon champion in the open era in 10 days' time. Arthur Ashe broke the record in 1975, aged 31 years, 11 months and 25 days and it has not been challenged since. "I've always believed that if an athlete does things right, they can get better as they get older," said Agassi, who triumphed at the Australian Open in January aged 32 years, eight months and 28 days. "At this stage of my career the body has to be there. There's only so much you can will yourself if you're not feeling up to the standard physically. "If your body doesn't respond, if you're not moving, if something hurts, if something is bothering you, it's a big handicap. "So I have to put more emphasis on the body because the mind is something you can control. "I can wake up on the wrong side of the bed with the best of them but I'm not resigned to that by the day's end. "If I look at the other players' careers, how they've evolved in their 20s into their 30s, I suppose in reflecting it's surprising to me." The only men older than Agassi to have won a grand slam title since tennis turned professional in 1968, are Australian Ken Rosewall, who won the last of his four Australian Opens at 37 years, two months and one day in 1972, and Andres Gimeno. The American believes the secret of his longevity has been the dip in form he suffered in 1997 when his ranking plummeted to 141 in the world. "Who's to say really how my career would have progressed one way or another had I sort of put myself through the mill every year, year after year," said the 1992 Wimbledon champion following his second-round victory over Germany's Lars Burgsmueller. "I definitely had a few years where I wasn't playing a tremendous amount of matches. Ultimately that's less wear and tear on your body. "I've never been 33 before and I've never had a long career like this before. So every year's a new one for me that I'm trying to figure out. "But still when I'm off court I feel old. When I'm on court I feel a little better which is good." Agassi will have to go on feeling good for another eight years if he is to break Wimbledon's all-time age record. That is held by Arthur Gore, who captured the trophy in 1909 aged 41 years and 182 days.
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