US Open Tennis: The Andre Agassi Show Goes On
by Christopher McIntosh
08/29/2006
This Summer a prodigiously talented bald man prone to outbursts of anger will retire.
He has grown up in front of us, gone from a young teenager who would fight with anyone in his way to one of the kindest persons in a rough game - a true gentleman.
He declared that he would retire after the biggest tournament in the world and knew that each match could be his last. Despite the obvious problems of age and having been written off for an early exit, he demonstrated a level of fitness and skill and emotion befitting a man of his stature.
Andre Agassi or Zinedine Zidane?
Agassi went out and played his first match of the US Open knowing that this could be it. His opponent was a little known (outside of tennis circles), unranked man by the last name Pavel who was your prototypical male player - big serve, big groundstrokes, big game.
Agassi's always been an American player, sometimes loved, sometimes despised, but as one writer put it, always mesmerizing.
It's the eyes.
His game, much like his life, has been about returns. His service return was among the best of the last twenty five years and in a game dominated by big servers, his stock and trade was to turn that back on them with returns unimaginable for anyone else.
It was timing. The ability to see what was coming before everyone else - and the ability to react.
He disappeared. Dropped to 141 in the world, despite eventually winning eight grand slams. Always in the shadow of Sampras, his disappearance was alarming, but truth be told, not altogether shocking.
Rock stars don't seem to have much of a shelf life.
But he returned. Shaved off his famous hair. Came back a man who no longer had the most endurance when it came to partying, but the man with the most endurance on tour.
He returned. Stronger, and more humble - a humility which only amplified his newfound strength and will.
He now stalks around between points. No ambling, no swagger, just the too quick walk of a man with short legs simply trying to get to the next point.
Head bobbing along, he just wants to return to the game.
Last night could have been his last match. His last time down the tunnel. His last memory of center court at a major in front of fans desperately cheering him on. American fans. Boisterous. Emotional.
And like a crowd at a rock concert, they wanted this one time tennis rock star to keep the concert going.
Just one more song.
He did.
I've never seen a more exciting first round match in my life. Under the lights at the US Open, Agassi played a match that epitomized his career.
His opponent, much younger than the unbelievably 37 year old Agassi, was matching Agassi's ground strokes. The quality of tennis was astounding. Even the announcers were in shock.
Agassi lost the first set in a tiebreak, than won the second, also in a tiebreak.
6-7, 7-6.
After that brilliant show of tennis he promptly went down 4-0 in the third set. The crowd could sense it, the announcers could sense it.
Even Agassi could sense it.
It was slipping away.
But he did what he always did.
He returned.
Made a change in his approach and nothing was the same.
Down 4-0, he switched rackets. Rattled off 4 games in a row to make the match 4-4 and eventually forces a tiebreak.
Goes up 6-3 in the tiebreak. 3 set points. He knows if he wins this set it's over. Pavel would crumble. No one could come back after losing a four nil lead to a legend like Agassi.
Agassi can't close it out. 6-6. Two points to determine the match.
Agassi wins both. 8-6. Two sets to one.
Pavel crumbles. Loses set four by a landslide.
The image I'll remember from this match?
The look in Agassi's eyes right before his last serve at 40-15 - match point.
He started to cry. His eyes welled. On national TV. Before God and the world.
But right before his emotions could get in the way, he wiped away the potential tears, the sweat from his bald head, bracketed the weakness, and finished him off.
Mesmerizing.
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