Mum146;s the word as wary Andre admits

American tennis great Andre Agassi says he dares not raise the prospect again of playing mixed doubles with his wife Steffi Graf. Agassi was...

American tennis great Andre Agassi says he dares not raise the prospect again of playing mixed doubles with his wife Steffi Graf. Agassi was asked at the Australian Open here today whether he would try again to team up with his champion wife in mixed doubles after an unsuccessful bid last year.

Agassi had promised a doubles appearance with Graf at the French Open after winning his eighth Grand Slam title in the Australian Open in Melbourne last January.

But the plan then had to be put off when it became known that the couple were about to expect their second child.

8220;Listen you can count on something,8221; Agassi told reporters. 8220;I8217;m not going to say anything that8217;s going to get any sideways looks when I walk through the front door. I promise you, Steffi can say more without saying anything.8221;

Graf gave birth to the couple8217;s second child, a girl named Jaz, last October. They have a two-year-old son called Jaden Gil.

Court talk

It wouldn8217;t be the Australian Open without talk about the courts. David Nalbandian likes the high bounce and speed of the Rebound Ace surface. Lleyton Hewitt describes them as rough and wishes there could be uniformity between the Open8217;s courts and the warm-up events.

Players have expressed concern in the past about their stickiness in the hot conditions often experienced in Melbourne in January. Those conditions have contributed to injuries, especially ankle problems, in the past.

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Lindsay Davenport today described them as 8220;a difficult court8221;. 8220;Sometimes grass is a little bit hard for people to get used to in the beginning. But here you have a lot of other factors,8221; said the three-time Grand Slam winner. 8220;How your foot can just stick sometimes. I mean, you see a lot of players go over on their ankles, and not have the ability to push off their feet.8221;

Asked if organisers should do something, she said: 8220;It8217;s up to them. I8217;ve never had a major injury out there but I8217;ve seen some other times it go on. But, I mean, we8217;re used to playing on a lot of different surfaces.8221;