Agassi’s final 8 minutes on court
Andre Agassi played his last professional match on Sunday, September 3, 2006. Check out the link above if, like me, you were unable to see it live. Also, read this article.
It seemed like Agassi was fighting tears as Benjamin Becker prepared to serve the match-ending ace that would also end Agassi’s career. Despite winning the match and enduring what was (from articles I’ve read) hostility by the crowd, Becker was very gracious and stepped aside to let Agassi have his final moment. Not that the crowd would have allowed anything else — there was at least a four-minute standing ovation as Agassi sat in his chair, tears flowing. His voice broke when he finally stood to address the crowd, thanking them for their support over his 21 year run at the U.S. Open.
From the coverage I’ve read, it seems Agassi was suffering even more than usual from his back injuries as he took to the court today. The pain was so bad that his father (who by all reports pushed Andre into tennis at an early age) asked him not to play to avoid permanent damage, and his coach stated that he wished he could pull Agassi out. In the end, he did play, obviously, but only managed to take one set in the match.
And with that, one of the greatest tennis players of all time has hung up his hat. From young rebel upstart to seasoned gentleman, Andre’s career and talent was one of the most impressive in the game. He will be sorely missed.
[tags]tennis, us open, Andre Agassi, Benjamin Becker, farewell[/tags]
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