BANGKOK - Top seed Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia ground out a 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 victory against German newcomer Benjamin Becker on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the Thailand Open.

Ljubicic served up 16 aces and broke clear at 5-5 in the second set as Becker struggled to return serve on his backhand. 'It took a while, but I realized it would be difficult,' Ljubicic told Reuters. ' He showed everyone how well he can play, but a lack of concentration in the second to last game cost him the match.'

Biggest Upward Mover -- Most Places Moved (Top 100)

Leader: Benjamin Becker -- Moved 36 places, from #112 to #76. If you don't know what Becker did last week, we can only suggest you get cable TV service for that rock you live under.

Q. What have the last 24 hours been like for you, going from that moment yesterday to today?
BENJAMIN BECKER: I don't know. I mean, it's been a great I don't know how long I've been now in New York, two weeks probably. You know, from qualifying, from achieving my goal to be top hundred, from playing Agassi and winning yesterday and, you know, getting another chance to play on center court against Roddick today, it's been, yeah, a pretty, pretty amazing trip for me. So I don't know. I haven't really realized everything yet I guess. I'm just gonna try to get a lot out of it. Think about it maybe tonight, tomorrow, the next few days.

Q. Has this experience taught you anything about yourself or your game that you didn't know before?
BENJAMIN BECKER: Well, I mean, it's tough to say. I mean, yeah, definitely I gained confidence, you know. I definitely gained confidence to, you know after qualifying, winning, and being in the Round of 16 for the first time, definitely should give you confidence. So I hope I can get a lot out of it, a lot of positive energy out of it. You know, I mean, learning from all the whole experience yesterday, I mean, nobody can take it away from me. Today even, you're playing on the center court, just feeling the atmosphere, feeling maybe the pressure, too, of being out there with people against you and everything together. I mean, it was a lot. It was a lot. So I just got to think about it, you know. Yeah, just gain from it as much as I can.

Q. Did yesterday take a lot out of you emotionally, physically?
BENJAMIN BECKER: Yeah, definitely. Both of it. I mean, I was really, really tired when I went back to the hotel. Yeah, I mean, I was physically tired. I was mentally really tired. Yeah, I mean, it was tough to refocus. But, you know, I tried the best I could, and it was tough to regain a lot of energy. But, you know, I just tried telling myself that I'm playing against Andy Roddick tomorrow, I'm playing Round of 16, it's a chance that, you know, not a lot of people get. So really tried to focus. It was tough to gain regain intensity on the court, too. But I think I did a good job, but it wasn't enough today.

Q. Were you able to even enjoy? You talked yesterday about the mixed emotions and everything, then right away to have to turn around and play today, it wasn't like you could spend today enjoying that victory yesterday. Have you had a chance to enjoy that at all?
BENJAMIN BECKER: It was tough yesterday for me to enjoy it because it was tough for me to accept that I, you know, deserved to be the last guy that Agassi played, you know. I was kind of it was tough for me to really enjoy it as much as people maybe told me I should. You know, maybe I will, looking at the DVDs, looking maybe at everything else, I will later on. But, you know, even after the match, you know, I talked to some people and we tried to talk about the next match, the Roddick match, just not to lose focus because I was still in the tournament. So, yeah, I haven't really enjoyed it as much, but maybe I will later on.

Q. Roddick was serving so well. What's it like trying to return it?
BENJAMIN BECKER: It's tough out there. You know, if you can't really get any points or free points on his serve, you know, he didn't serve any double faults I think, and made a lot of first serves. I don't know what the percentage was. But I just tried to read it, tried to guess where he was serving because, you know, I didn't have any chance by just waiting and looking and, you know, trying to anticipate it. Yeah, I mean, he was serving really, really well. Didn't have a chance to break him. So puts a lot of pressure on your serve. I didn't serve as well as I would have liked to. Yeah, then I made a few more mistakes, especially in the first and second set that, you know, come from the pressure you feel because he's serving so well. You know, if he serves like that, I mean, it's really tough to break him.

Q. How far do you think he can go?
BENJAMIN BECKER: Andy Roddick?

Q. Yeah, in this tournament.
BENJAMIN BECKER: After, I bet he's really confident after winning Cincinnati last week. You know, being in the Quarters now. I bet he's really confident. When somebody's serving like him and, you know, if you play well from the baseline, too, then, you know, you have a really good chance to win the whole thing. Obviously, Federer is the big, big favorite, and he's a guy who can really hurt him, but, you know, obviously he has a good chance to win, for sure.

Q. So you're leaving New York, despite the loss today, with a very positive experience. Of course you're disappointed you lost today. But all over, you came here and got more than you expected?
BENJAMIN BECKER: Sure. I achieved my goal. I had a dream come true. I mean, why would I leave in a negative way just because I lost to Andy Roddick, which I'm not ashamed about that, especially with the way he played. Yeah, I'm definitely gonna leave. Obviously, I'm disappointed now. It's gonna take a few hours. Otherwise, right now, that's what you need to improve, you try to take something out of the losses. If I would be happy now, then, you know, I wouldn't be a professional tennis player. It just takes a while. You go to dinner, come back, maybe you think about it again tomorrow. I don't know when I'm leaving yet, but then you think about the whole situation, the whole two weeks, and obviously I'm gonna leave on a very positive note.

Q. Did you get any special advice from Tarik? Probably knows his game as well as anybody.
BENJAMIN BECKER: Yeah, I did. But, you know, it was tough because we didn't have as many rallies, you know, from the baseline. I didn't really I made a lot of unforced errors again because, you know, I think I wasn't moving as well as I would have liked to. So I made a lot more unforced errors than I did in the first two rounds. So, yeah, just it was tough for me to gain confidence, you know. It was tough for me to really feel comfortable out there, and trying to, you know, fight may way back into the match. But, yeah, obviously, he helped me a lot. It was just tough to, you know, convert it on the court.

Q. You were so successful yesterday with the challenges. Had you used the system before?
BENJAMIN BECKER: That's the first time.

Q. That's your first time. Are you known for having a good eye?
BENJAMIN BECKER: I guess now, yeah. I'm 3 0 I think, yeah (smiling). Yeah, but actually, I actually have good eyes, I think, you know. When something is far away, I can see it, you know, better than some of the other guys. I figured that out. Yesterday was luck. Nobody can see it when the ball is like 2 millimeters on the line. It was just luck. The ball when it left my racquet felt good. I thought the ball would be in. They were important points mostly, so I just went for it. I just got so lucky, because it was so close, you can't see that.

Q. Do you think it's a good system?
BENJAMIN BECKER: Definitely, yeah, it helped me (laughing). I can't say anything negative about it right now. But I think it's a good system, yeah. It makes sense.

Q. Very few players get to play consecutive matches on center court here. I'm wondering, do you have any doubt now that you belong there?
BENJAMIN BECKER: Yeah, of course. I mean, when you come here to visit or watch TV and you see the center court, you know, yeah, it's a weird feeling going out there actually being one of the players. But I really think it's gonna just, yeah, motivate me because I really want to go back there because it was so much fun. You know, I'm gonna try everything I can to be out there again next year.

Q. How long do you think it will take to get rid of the label, the man who sent Andre Agassi into retirement?
BENJAMIN BECKER: I don't know. I think it's tougher to get away from Boris Becker. I don't know. I haven't thought about that yet. I'm just gonna wait what happens, and we'll see. Hopefully, people, yeah, know me because I'm playing good tennis and, you know, I'm moving up the rankings and not just by being the last guy who beat Agassi.

Q. Do you think other players now will view you I mean, you seem like you'll feel differently about yourself. Do you think opponents also, once you've played on center court, US Open, these big publicized matches, other players will view you definitely?
BENJAMIN BECKER: Yeah, definitely. I think you lose advantage of being the unknown. Because especially after yesterday, people now know me. They also know me in the locker room, they say hi or good job yesterday or something. So, you know, it definitely loses me the advantage of people not knowing my game. But, yeah, it's different, but we'll see how it goes

The most surprising part of Benjamin Becker’s breakthrough performance at the U.S. Open was that so many people were surprised.

But certainly Fernando Verdasco wasn’t among them.

The 26th-ranked player in the world saw enough of Becker two months ago in a knock-down, drag-out five-setter at Wimbledon to know that facing him on hardcourts would be disastrous for some unsuspecting seed.

Likewise No. 37 Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina, who lost to Becker in the first round at the All-England Club in the 25-year-old German’s Grand Slam debut.

Not to mention Baylor coach Matt Knoll, who for six years told anyone who’d listen that Becker could make it really, really big in pro tennis. But that’s about it, apart from friends, family and former Baylor teammates.

Becker himself is sort of on the fence. It’s not as if the three-time all-American has no confidence. It’s just that his considerable talent has always run neck-and-neck with his humility.

“You know me, I’m always looking at the dark side,” Becker said Monday night after Andy Roddick played a practically perfect match to knock him out in the fourth round, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3. “Volandri was a clay-courter, Grosjean had no rest, and Agassi was hurt. I think I had good timing. But that’s just the way I am.”

He has that in common with the tennis media. Hardly a story was written or taped in the run-up to his third-rounder against Agassi that didn’t suggest, implicitly or otherwise, that it was a little flukish for a player ranked 112th in the world to share the stage with American tennis’ only remaining icon.

Funny thing about the ATP rankings, though. The list is not a snapshot, but a year-long time exposure. It reflects not necessarily the best players in the world at a given moment, but the most consistent over a 12-month period.

Tennis is a meritocracy. No matter how good you are, you don’t get to play Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal right out of the gate. With very few exceptions, players have to earn the right to play ATP Tour events by winning in Futures and Challenger events, tennis’ “minor leagues.”

A year ago today, Becker had only two main-draw victories, about $300 in career earnings and was unranked on the ATP computer. When the new numbers come out Monday, he’ll be up to about No. 75. And his $72,000 Open payday will boost his career total to about $175,000.

Though he has won five singles titles and made the finals of three other Challenger events this year, more than $100,000 of that total came at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows.

No player currently on tour and few in memory have risen that far, that fast. And certainly none who spent four years in college.

In short, Becker has paid his dues.

CBS analyst John McEnroe had a few chippy remarks during the nationally televised matches with Agassi and Roddick, but he was clearly impressed by Becker’s poise, professionalism and, mostly, his game.

“We’ll see if he can follow up on this success,” he said Monday when it became apparent that Becker didn’t have the goods to beat Roddick on this day. “Maybe break into the Top 50 or 40.”

Knoll, for one, expects a lot more than that.

“I’m absolutely not surprised,” he said. “I’m honestly a little disappointed. Don’t get me wrong — winning six matches at this tournament, playing twice in the stadium on national television and dealing with all the attention was a great step for him.

“But he needs to win these tournaments. I think he’s capable of winning them. I said that to (former BU standout) Benedikt Dorsch, and he said I was being unrealistic. And maybe I am.”

Certainly based upon Roddick’s Monday performance, which establishes him as a major threat to both Nadal in the semis and Federer in the final.

Roddick, whose best serve is at least 15 miles per hour faster than any player left in the draw, made 76 percent of his first serves.

Becker, who came in having won more points on opponents’ first serves than any player in the field, managed only seven out of 53 Monday and 13 overall in 14 service games.

And that wasn’t even Roddick’s best performance of the tournament. In the second round against Denmark’s Kristian Pless, he served 77 percent and lost only 11 points in 15 service games plus a tiebreaker, including 10 love games.

“I really thought we had a chance, but if he’s going to serve 76 percent, it’s tough,” Knoll said. “We never even got a sniff on his serve. The one time we got to 30, he hit three aces.”

Becker conceded that Sunday’s emotional victory over Agassi before 23,000 fans in Arthur Ashe Stadium probably affected his play on Monday.

“The whole thing was really, really trying,” he said. “I felt really bad afterwards, almost sick. ... If yesterday hadn’t happened the way it did, today would have been different for sure. Not to use that as an excuse, but I was definitely disappointed that I performed the way I did.”

He called the week a “once-in-a-lifetime experience,” but was careful to point out that he meant the win over Agassi in the six-time Grand Slam champion’s final match.

Back home, that victory prompted a raucous celebration. As raucous as things get, anyway, in Orscholz, Germany.

“They were driving through the village and honking their carhorns,” Becker laughed. “It was as if Germany had won the World Cup. Or so I heard.”

Becker will take the next two weeks off before flying to the Far East to play ATP events in Bangkok and possibly Tokyo at the end of the month.

Now a lock for a berth in the Australian Open, he could meet McEnroe’s Top 50 challenge — and then some — with a strong performance in the European hardcourt season this fall.

“I learned a lot this week,” he said. “Honestly, I haven’t really had a lot of time to digest it all. ... But I know I’m right there.”

NEW YORK - Not having a ticket won't be a problem for Benjamin Becker when he faces Andre Agassi in the third round of the US Open.

But it did cause him difficulty when the 112th ranked German and some friends tried to get a seat in the Arthur Ashe Stadium Thursday night to scout his legendary opponent who is playing in his last tournament before retiring.

Becker was surprised when ushers told him he needed a ticket for Agassi's match against Marcos Baghdatis, which turned out to be a classic five setter.

'I was trying to watch it in the stadium but there were no seats,' Becker said. 'I had to stand in an alley and then they kicked us out. So I went to the hotel and watched it at the hotel.'

Becker said he wasn't expecting such a high-tempo match.

'I was just amazed by the game because it was an unbelievable match,' he said. 'It was so interesting, one of the best matches I have ever seen on TV. I really got into it and after awhile I was just a spectator.'

Becker received a scholarship to attend Baylor University in Texas. But he said nothing in his past will have probably prepared him for Saturday night where he knows 23,000 people will be giving him the Bronx cheer.

'I played college tennis. I had sometimes maybe 200 people cheering against me.We played at Texas Tech. People were standing on the court. They were so close you could hear whatever they said to you. Of course, twenty thousand people is a little different.'

Becker said his coach made him walk around Arthur Ashe Stadium Thursday for five minutes to try and imagine the atmosphere when it is electric.

'I am trying to prepare for that because that is something I have never experienced,' he said. 'I'll be nervous. I will try to be aggressive and take control of the points.
Trying to serve big and put pressure on him and make him move. I don't want to be trying anything different.'

Becker said he grew up idolising both Agassi and his namesake Boris Becker, a six-time Grand Slam winner.

'It's funny,' he said. 'I remember the matches they had when Andre still had long hair, the orange Donnay racquet and colourful clothes. I grew up watching Boris Becker from Germany and Andre because he was so charismatic.' "

NEW YORK -- Kicked out of Arthur Ashe Stadium Thursday night , Benjamin Becker had no choice but to head to his hotel. He had wanted to get a peek as Andre Agassi fought to prolong his tennis career against Marcos Baghdatis . No seats were available, and the US Open qualifier wasn't even allowed to stand in the alleys with a view of the court, even though the unknown German was in line to play the winner.

That was Agassi.

And so Becker -- who's not related to Boris Becker -- gets the legend on center court at Ashe today, if the weather cooperates.

Not bad for a kid who was ranked around 1,400th in the world and lost in a qualifier of a Futures tournament (tennis's Double A) just one year ago.

``The most difficult [part of the match] is he's going to have to erase in his mind that he's playing Andre,' said Becker's coach, Tarik Benhabiles, the former coach of Andy Roddick. ``Just go out there and play.

``I want him to go out there and try his best and have a great attitude. I don't want him to go out there as a spectator against Andre.'

He has to forget his ranking (112th) and Agassi's legend, and focus just on the tennis, no matter how many times he pretended to be Agassi as a kid growing up in Germany. And he has to forget the crowd, the 23,000 or so fans who will be cheering for Agassi and against him, even though the most hostile crowd he has faced was about 200 rowdy Texas Tech fans when he played for Baylor. But, Benhabiles mused, it won't be the same if Agassi isn't physically healthy for their match.

Agassi had trouble walking after his win over Baghdatis , moved around in a chair to get comfortable during his press conference, and had to lie down on his way out of the tennis center at one point. He was given an injection of anti-inflammatory medication yesterday, his trainer told the Associated Press. Three days earlier, Agassi received a cortisone shot for back pain .

Even so, the chance to play Agassi on Ashe in what might be the last match of his career is ``a dream come true,' Becker said. `` I was kind of hoping he would win because it's the last time you get a chance to play him.

``I grew up watching him play. He was an idol for me.'"

Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Benjamin Becker said he understands the confusion when tennis fans see B. Becker of Germany listed as Andre Agassi's next opponent at the U.S. Open tennis championship.

Becker said he's grown used to telling people that he's not related to Boris Becker, the former world No. 1 who won six Grand Slam titles, including the U.S. Open in 1989.

``If I don't get that question when I play a tournament, I think something's wrong,'' Becker said during a news conference at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, where he plays Agassi in a third-round match likely scheduled for tomorrow. ``Before they even finish the question I always say `No,' because I know what's coming.''

Benjamin Becker, 23, is hearing it more this week, as he becomes the next player to face Agassi, who has said he'll retire after the U.S. Open. Becker said he's never even met Boris Becker, though he grew up idolizing both him and Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam winner.

``I remember the matches they had when Andre still had the long hair, the orange racket, the colorful clothes,'' said Becker, ranked 112th in the world.

Agassi, who's never played Benjamin Becker, had a 10-4 record against Boris and won both of their semifinal meetings at the U.S. Open. While Boris retired in 1999 at the age of 32, the 36-year-old Agassi is just now ending his 20-year playing career.

Agassi Pressure

Agassi has avoided retirement thus far, beating Andrei Pavel of Romania in four sets and eighth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus in five during the first two rounds. Baghdatis, 21, said the pressure of playing Agassi in front of more than 23,000 fans affected him during his loss.

Becker said he's not sure how he'll react when he takes the court against one of his boyhood idols. Though he's won three lower-tier ATP Challenger Tour events earlier this season, Becker says the most pressure he's faced was during a college match at Baylor University.

``I remember one match we played at Texas Tech,'' Becker said. ``People were standing right on the court. You could hear whatever they said to you. But there were maybe only 200 people maybe. Twenty thousand is a little different.''

Becker didn't play in front of large crowds in his wins this week over Filippo Volandri of Italy or No. 30 Sebastien Grosjean of France. He will against Agassi.

Baghdatis heard the jeers from the pro-Agassi crowd and Becker expects it too. He may even hear an occasional mock cheer of ``Go Boris,'' but said he wouldn't have it any other way.

``It was always the ultimate goal to play Agassi in this tournament,'' Becker said. ``And now it's going to happen.'"

NEW YORK - Benjamin Becker grew up in Germany pretending he was Andre Agassi on the tennis court. Now the 25-year-old qualifier will try to send his idol into retirement when the two meet in the U.S. Open third round.

"It's a dream come true," said Becker, who has taken a patient path into tennis, studying and playing at Baylor University in Texas -- the only college that recruited him -- before trying his luck on tour.

"I grew up watching him play. He was an idol for me. It's a chance that I'm really fortunate to experience," he told reporters on Friday.

Time has moved fast for the slightly-built Becker, who is not related to German tennis great Boris Becker, but says he is asked at every event about his famous namesake.

One year ago, Becker was ranked around 1,400, playing in qualifiers to gain entry into Futures events.

One week ago Becker was struggling to advance through the qualifying tournament to make it into the main draw at the U.S. Open for the first time.

His relative anonymity was proven on Thursday night when he tried to get a feel of the atmosphere in the Arthur Ashe Stadium during the Agassi-Marcos Baghdatis match.

"I was trying to watch it in the stadium but there were no tickets. I had to stand in the alley and then they kicked us out, so I went to the hotel and watched it," he said about Agassi's thrilling five-set win.

Becker, who has a big serve and a formidable return of serve, won a fourth-set tiebreaker against 53rd-ranked Filippo Volandri of Italy in the first round before beating 30th seed Sebastien Grosjean of France.

Next he will get a chance to knock out eight-times grand slam winner Agassi, who is playing his last tournament.

COLLEGE SUCCESS

Becker, now ranked 112th, said he could only guess at the atmosphere with more than 20,000 fans screaming for Agassi.

"I played college tennis and I had some times when maybe 200 people were cheering against me," he said.

He found success in college, where he majored in finance and is only a few courses away from graduation. Becker won the 2004 U.S. college singles championship and led Baylor to the NCAA team title.

Becker began his steep climb up the professional ranks a year ago when he hooked up with Andy Roddick's former coach Tarik Benhabiles.

"It's a nice story, he started from nowhere," Benhabiles said. "He was trying to qualify for Futures. Now he is going to break into the top 100. It's a Cinderella story."

The coach said Becker must show mental toughness in facing Agassi.

"He is not a kid from the tennis world," Benhabiles said. "He went to school and knows the realities of life. He's very rich by the experience of life, very mature. We have an adult out there."

"He's got a shot, you know. He just has to realise it's just another human being in front of him."

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14628118/

NEW YORK - Benjamin Becker grew up in Germany pretending he was Andre Agassi on the tennis court. Now the 25-year-old qualifier will try to send his idol into retirement when the two meet in the U.S. Open third round.

"It's a dream come true," said Becker, who has taken a patient path into tennis, studying and playing at Baylor University in Texas -- the only college that recruited him -- before trying his luck on tour.

"I grew up watching him play. He was an idol for me. It's a chance that I'm really fortunate to experience," he told reporters on Friday.

Time has moved fast for the slightly-built Becker, who is not related to German tennis great Boris Becker, but says he is asked at every event about his famous namesake.

One year ago, Becker was ranked around 1,400, playing in qualifiers to gain entry into Futures events.

One week ago Becker was struggling to advance through the qualifying tournament to make it into the main draw at the U.S. Open for the first time.

His relative anonymity was proven on Thursday night when he tried to get a feel of the atmosphere in the Arthur Ashe Stadium during the Agassi-Marcos Baghdatis match.

"I was trying to watch it in the stadium but there were no tickets. I had to stand in the alley and then they kicked us out, so I went to the hotel and watched it," he said about Agassi's thrilling five-set win.

Becker, who has a big serve and a formidable return of serve, won a fourth-set tiebreaker against 53rd-ranked Filippo Volandri of Italy in the first round before beating 30th seed Sebastien Grosjean of France.

Next he will get a chance to knock out eight-times grand slam winner Agassi, who is playing his last tournament.

COLLEGE SUCCESS

Becker, now ranked 112th, said he could only guess at the atmosphere with more than 20,000 fans screaming for Agassi.

"I played college tennis and I had some times when maybe 200 people were cheering against me," he said.

He found success in college, where he majored in finance and is only a few courses away from graduation. Becker won the 2004 U.S. college singles championship and led Baylor to the NCAA team title.

Becker began his steep climb up the professional ranks a year ago when he hooked up with Andy Roddick's former coach Tarik Benhabiles.

"It's a nice story, he started from nowhere," Benhabiles said. "He was trying to qualify for Futures. Now he is going to break into the top 100. It's a Cinderella story."

The coach said Becker must show mental toughness in facing Agassi.

"He is not a kid from the tennis world," Benhabiles said. "He went to school and knows the realities of life. He's very rich by the experience of life, very mature. We have an adult out there."

"He's got a shot, you know. He just has to realise it's just another human being in front of him."

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14628118/

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14628118/