Agassi facing repair job as Becker beckons

Andre Agassi was carefully weighing the options before him as he battled to keep his US Open dream alive.

The 36-year-old American came through a brutal five-setter second round tie against young Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis in a match that finished well after midnight and left him sore all over and barely able to walk.

He had needed pain-killing cortisone injections to calm the pain from a bulging disc in his back just to be able to walk on to the court and was huddling with his advisers to decide if he should take more.

าWeีre making some adjustments - some anti-inflammatory options,ำ he said after seeing off Baghdatis in 3 hours and 48 minutes of pulsating tennis.

าBelieve me, Iีll exhaust all possibilities short of taking too many risks for the long term.

าI do want to make sure I give myself the best look here, but I donีt want to compromise the rest of my life.ำ

The problem for Agassi and his handlers is that cortisone is effective in treating chronic injuries like the back condition that has dogged the American for the last 18 months, but it must be used in a tightly controlled manner.

Doctors recommend no more than nine cortisone shots in a lifetime and would be aghast at anyone taking two in the same week.

The drug can mask an injury, break down tissue and inhibit healing. Injections to the spinal area can also cause nerve-root damage.

But with Agassi pledged to retire from the sport after the tournament, the stakes are high.

Agassiีs next opponent on Saturday is Benjamin Becker. A win over Becker could set Agassi up for a last-16 round showdown with compatriot Andy Roddick early next week.