"I'll follow guys to the end of the earth, but I don't think I'll follow Andre Agassi"- When Jimmy Connors was impressed by American in US Open defeat

Jimmy Connors once shared his feelings after being defeated by compatriot Andre Agassi at the 1988 US Open. Connors was Agassi’s idol and practiced with him when he was just four years old.

Agassi enjoyed a fairytale run at the New York Major that year. He kicked off his campaign by beating Philip Johnson and then advanced past Rick Leach, Johan Kriek, and Michael Chang, setting up a semifinal showdown with Connors.

On the other hand, sixth seed Connors booked a spot in the last eight after a series of hard-fought victories over Agustin Moreno, Gilad Bloom, Pieter Aldrich, and Jorge Lozano.

In a clash between two different generations, Agassi defeated Connors 6-2, 7-6(6), 6-1, despite the latter's determined effort. The rising star showcased his promise as the future of American tennis and advanced to the semifinals, where Ivan Lendl cut his run short.

After the match, Jimmy Connors said that he would remember this loss and while he was willing to go to great lengths to face other players again, he doubted he would do the same for Andre Agassi.

''I'll remember that the next time we play. There will always be a next time. I'll follow guys to the end of the earth to play them again, but I don't think I'll follow him," Connors told the media (via The New York Times).

Andre Agassi: "It was as difficult for Jimmy Connors to lose to an 18-year-old as it would have been for me to lose to a 36-year-old"

Andre Agassi (Source: Getty)

Andre Agassi spoke with reporters and praised Jimmy Connors after his quarterfinal win over his compatriot. He expressed that his rival's "will to fight" had "surprised" him.

''He plays with my style,'' Agassi said (via The New York Times). ''I thought I was capable of more. I thought he would try to beat me from memory, but he surprised me. His will to fight surprised me. It was so intense you could feel it.''

Agassi, then just 18 while Connors was 36, remarked that although he held the advantage on paper, it was equally difficult for both players to face the possibility of losing to one another.

''I think most people would have said that I had the advantage coming into the match so there was a lot to prove. But it was just as difficult for him to lose to an 18-year-old as it would have been for me to lose to a 36-year-old," the eight-time Grand Slam champion said.

Andre Agassi finished his career with a 2-0 head-to-head record against Jimmy Connors. Besides their 1988 US Open encounter, they met again a year later at the same venue in the quarterfinals, with the match extending to five sets.