Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2003 | 9:08 a.m.
Talk about a love match.
Steffi Graf may make a tennis comeback -- to play mixed doubles with her husband Andre Agassi.
The first couple of tennis will reunite on the court at the French Open if, and only if, Agassi wins this week's Australian Open.
"For the record ... if I win here Steffi has to play doubles with me in Paris," Agassi told the Down Under tourney's official website Tuesday. "She promised, and I will hold her to it."
Agassi is favored to win after demolishing France's Sebastien Grosjean Tuesday to advance to the semifinals at 6 p.m. today (Pacific time) against South African Wayne Ferreira.
The French Open starts May 26 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris.
Agassi said he and Graf, who live in Las Vegas, had been practicing and that she was in great shape.
"You think I am an inspiration at 32 --- you should see her at 33," Agassi said.
Graf retired in 1999. She is second all time with 22 Grand Slam singles titles; Margaret Court leads with 24.
Agassi and Graf were married in Las Vegas in October 2001, and have a 15-month-old son, Jaden Gil Agassi.
Last fall the Andre Agassi Academy opened on J Street and West Lake Mead Boulevard. It is a charter school for underprivileged kids, primarily funded by Agassi.
Here's Baz
Chef Kerry Simon hasn't been at his Hard Rock Hotel restaurant lately.
The Simon Kitchen and Bar frontman has been at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah since Friday hobnobbing with such film friends as Quentin Tarantino, Dustin Hoffman and James Woods.
So Simon missed a group representing Broadway producer Baz Luhrmann when it stopped in for dinner over the weekend.
Luhrmann is on vacation in Australia, but his press representatives, the Boneau/Bryan Brown agency in New York, confirmed that he had associates in town shopping for a venue for a Vegas production of "Moulin Rouge."
In December Luhrmann told Variety that he was interested in bringing a stage version of his 2001 movie starring Nicole Kidman to Las Vegas. Kidman has reportedly been offered $1 million per week to reprise her film role onstage.
Catherine Martin, Luhrmann's wife, earned Oscars for the film's art direction and costume design.
Globe goodies
Look for some Golden Globe winners -- or their personal assistants -- to be coming to Vegas in a couple of weeks.
One of the select items in the winners' goody bags on Saturday night -- provided by the syndicated show "Extra!" -- was a gift certificate for a Valentine's Day weekend stay at the new Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas, which opens Feb. 13.
Also included was a VIP invite for the Diamonds and the Power of Love show that runs from Feb. 14 through Feb. 23.
So, will winners Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Aniston, Jack Nicholson, Rene Zellweger, Richard Gere, Martin Scorsese, Michael Chiklis, Chris Cooper, Bono, Edie Falco, Kim Cattrall, Meryl Streep or Uma Thurman actually show up?
If and when they do, you can read about it right here.
Keyed up
Las Vegas City Councilman Lawrence Weekly crashed the Erykah Badu show at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay on Saturday night.
He made a surprise appearance onstage at the end of her show to present her with a key to the city.
The Ward 5 rep runs a terrific community program called "Get High on Music, Not Drugs," that Badu has been involved with.
Silver party
Invitations went out this week for uber-dealmaker Jack Wishna and his wife Donna's 25th wedding anniversary.
The party is March 15 at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago, the pink stucco estate in Palm Beach, Fla., formerly owned by Marjorie Merriweather Post.
Wishna was the key guy in putting Trump and New Frontier Hotel owner Phil Ruffin together for their Trump Tower Las Vegas project.
Wishna also brokered Wayne Newton's pact with the Stardust.
The guest list incudes Trump and Ruffin, entertainers Robert Goulet, Michael Flatley and Tony Orlando, producer Mike Merrick and power laywers Donald Campbell and Frank Schreck.
Wide 'World'
VegasBeat made a brief sojourn to Washington over the long weekend to check out the peace march on the National Mall on Saturday, see some of the newer memorials and attend a family function.
Directly across the street from the hotel, on M Street, there was a club called Lulu's.
Big sign out in front on Saturday: "Appearing tonight! The cast of 'Real World Las Vegas.' "
Can't escape.
Game ball
Casinos rejoice! Pete Rose is in town.
The would-be Hall of Famer -- a predilection for sports betting landed him on baseball's Permanently Ineligible list -- is in Las Vegas to attend the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Show, which started Monday at the Sands Expo Center.
The major league's all-time hits leader is a paid shill for a variety of sports-related companies.
The 2002 Stanley Cup-winning goaltender, Dominik Hasek, is also at the show; select attendees had the chance to play "Beat the Goalie" against him.
Other athletes spotted at the show, and elsewhere around town: Vida Blue, Bob Lilly, Bob Boone, Larry Holmes, Carlton Fisk, Artis Gilmore, David Tua and Deuce McAllister.
Also at the show are the Orlando Magic cheerleaders and workout product sales-celebs Suzanne Somers and Jake Steinfeld of "Body by Jake" fame.
VegasBits
Robin Leach is in San Diego for the Western Gaming Conference. He and slot maker IGT are introducing a "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" state-of-the-art video slot machine. It debuts in several California American Indian casinos next month before arriving in Vegas in May ...
More Vegas in the media: Master Chef Gustav Mauler -- the BullShrimp and Sazio proprietor -- is featured in the current Men's Fitness magazine. He offers tips on low-calorie cooking ...
Arzu Delp has been promoted to spa director of the Aqua Sulis Spa in the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort ...
Two towers of comedy, Tim Conway and Harvey Korman (best known for their stint on "The Carol Burnett Show"), are back at the Stardust April 2 through April 5. Tickets are on sale ...
Regis Philbin does his schtick at the MGM Grand's EFX Theatre the weekend of Feb. 15. Jay Leno is there the weekend before Philbin, and the weekend after ...
As reported here first last week, Kiss is appearing at Rain in the Desert at Palms March 16. Tickets, which go on sale Saturday, are priced at $125 and $300. Everyone who buys a pair at those prices ought to get a big wet kiss from Gene Simmons himself.
archive
