[PHOTOS] Sad End for Andre Agassi in Croatia Exhibition Match
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
The large crowd who turned up in the Croatian coastal town of Umag last night to watch Andre Aggasi take on Goran Ivanišević in a rematch of the 1992 Wimbledon final were left disappointed after the American revealed a crippling injury ahead of the exhibition match…
Aggasi arrived in Umag to play Ivanišević at the newly-named Goran Ivanišević stadium in an exhibition match ahead of the 2016 Croatia Open, but only could hit a few balls over the net in the warm-up before revealing a serious back injury.
“The injury is so serious that I probably will never be able to play even exhibition matches again,” he told the host on court, before adding.
“I am really sorry that I am not 100%, but I am old so its not strange”.
After announcing the injury Agassi introduced his replacement for the match to the sell-out crowd, none other than former World. No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, and then proceeded to take his seat on the side of the court.
“I prefer to watch Goran from this position than from the other side of the net. I always had to guess where he would serve, that is the only way I could return the bombs,” he joked.
Ivanišević, who just had the stadium officially named after him that night, continued to entertain the 4,000-strong crowd with Ferrero.
Aggasi was in Croatia for the first time and was impressed with its beauty.
“I didn’t know what to expect when I came but this place is beautiful. I wish I played here when I was a professional,” he concluded.