The left-handed Gomez repeatedly nullified the flashy Agassi’s shot-making prowess, hooking his slingshot slice serve into the corner to drag the American off the court, and firing his forehand down the line.
The third-seeded Agassi, who beat Jim Courier in the fourth round and defeated defending champion Michael Chang in the quarterfinals, was the heavy favorite against the Ecuadorian, who was in his first Grand Slam final in his 28th Grand Slam appearance. Agassi had beaten Gomez weeks earlier in Miami. The colorful American generated international headlines in Paris wearing pink spandex cycle shorts—“hot lava” as Agassi called them—beneath black denim shorts. The bright-colored outfit prompted criticism from French Tennis Federation president Philippe Chatrier, to which Agassi replied: “Those bozos will look for anyone to talk about. Let them talk. It’s some dull guys sitting behind a desk…Wearing colors is what tennis needs. Without colors, I’d still be me, but I’d be more boring.”
The 30-year-old Gomez, who swept Thomas Muster in the semifinals, played brilliant all-court tennis and finished in style, smacking his signature shot, the forehand, down the line to become a national hero in Ecuador. Gomez became the first left-handed man to win Roland Garros since Guillermo Vilas in 1977 and the oldest men’s champion since 34-year-old Andres Gimeno ruled Roland Garros in 1972.
“I’ve been coming here for 12 years and I always dreamed about this moment,” Gomez said.
In his memoir, Open, Agassi revealed he played the final with heavy concern on his head: He was worried his hair piece would fall off during the final. “I pray. Not for a win, but for my hairpiece to stay on,” said Agassi, whose brother Phil advised him, “don’t move around too much out there,” before the final fearing a follicle malfunction.
May 27 (1992): Connors goes down swinging
May 28 (1983): Horvath spoils perfection
May 29 (1998): Safin shocks the champ
May 30 (1999): Agassi defeats Moya
May 31 (2003): Robredo's remarkable rally
June 1 (1993): Fernandez foils a friend
June 2 (1994): Pierce pummels Graf in semis
June 3 (2001): Kuerten's comeback vs. Russell
June 4 (2005): Henin, the Queen of Clay
June 5 (2010): Francesca wins the final
June 6 (1989): The underdog's underhanded serve
June 7 (1981): Borg's final final-round triumph
June 8 (1996): 10-8 in the third: Graf vs. A. S-V
June 9 (2001): Capriati's 12-10 win over Clijsters
June 10 (1990): Gomez denies flashy Agassi
