Tennis: Bollettieri's duellists to renew battle: Lipton Championships

EVEN in a location where tans and sunshades are par for the court, Nick Bollettieri will stand out in a 14,000 capacity crowd at the Lipton Championships here tonight. The coach who ditched Andre Agassi and boarded a buffeting Boris Becker bandwagon will watch the two players duel for the first time since their match at Wimbledon two years ago.

It was so different then. Agassi's five-set victory in the quarter-finals, his sixth consecutive win in nine matches against Becker, convinced him that ultimate triumph on the lawns was possible. A beaming Bollettieri shared in the glory, having coaxed the star pupil of his Florida tennis academy every step of the way.

The scenario changed after Wimbledon last July. Bollettieri, feeling increasingly alienated from the Agassi entourage, sent a Dear Andre letter. Becker entered the picture in December, when he trained at the academy and decided that Bollettieri would be the man to restore his fortunes.

While this was taking place, Agassi was recovering from his latest setback, surgery to cure tendinitis of the wrist, and was still coming to terms with Bollettieri's decision to terminate their association.

'The manoeuvre that Nick pulled after Wimbledon was a factor that affected me in a negative way,' he said yesterday. 'That was a lot more personal than it was professional. Nick has been a friend of mine for 10 years. Friendships can be wounded and even come to an end. I don't think it has gotten there with me and Nick. My feelings are not vindictive. I am just extremely disappointed.'

Human nature suggests that tonight's third-round match will present Agassi with an opportunity to score points against his former coach. Agassi says not: 'I don't have to prove anything to Nick. It is just me and Boris out there. I am always excited to play Boris because I have so much respect for his ability and for what he has added to the game.'

Becker also seems keen to leave Bollettieri where he belongs, on the sidelines. 'It's a special match because I enjoy playing Andre,' he said, 'but that's about it.'

Both men know that they are somewhat fortunate to be playing each other. Either could have gone the way of Todd Martin, the runner-up at the Australian Open, who lost to Byron Black, of Zimbabwe, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6, or a petulant Ivan Lendl, twice a champion here, who fell to the Dutchman Jan Siemerink, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6.

Britain's Mark Petchey came within a few solid volleys of threatening Agassi's progress on Saturday, the American winning, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, and Becker struggled before asserting himself against Sweden's Nicklas Kulti, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0.

Becker found it hard adjusting to the wind in his first match outdoors in six months. Agassi also blamed the blustery conditions for an uneven performance against Petchey, though the elements did not inhibit the 23-year-old from Essex; nor did his opponent. Agassi, serving at 4-4, 30-30 in the final set, was revitalised by the inspiration of a spectacular forehand down the line when retrieving a Petchey volley.

Results, Sporting Digest,

page 31