The Hindu : Sport : Agassi bids adieu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 04, 2006

Sport

Sport

Agassi bids adieu

NEW YORK : A career for the ages came to a close when Andre Agassi lost to 112th-ranked Benjamin Becker, who served an ace to finish off a 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5 victory in the third round at the U.S. Open on Sunday.

Worn down and wincing, Agassi could only stand and watch the final shot whiz by. Agassi looked like what he'd become — a 36-year-old man trying to play tennis with a bad back that needed three injections.

Agassi teared up on the blue court as he addressed a crowd that showed up early at Arthur Ashe Stadium and tried to spur him all afternoon.

"The scoreboard shows that I lost today," he said. "But what the scoreboard doesn't show is what I feel."

Becker, who had to win three qualifying matches merely to make it into the Open, applauded as Agassi spoke. Agassi's wife, Steffi Graf, and their two children looked on.

"He was my idol growing up," said Becker, who joined the crowd in a long, loud standing ovation for Agassi.

Agassi needed cortisone and anti-inflammatory shots to keep playing this week. Although he pushed himself to the limit, his body wasn't willing to go to where his mind wanted. Hobbling, grimacing and breathing hard, he frequently stood and could only watch to see whether Becker's shots landed good. Reduced to hoping rather than hitting, Agassi showed just flashes of the brilliant returns and pinpoint backhands that made him an eight-time Grand Slam winner.

The crowd clearly felt his pain, booing when the 25-year-old Becker hit drop shots that made Agassi run. — AP

The Results

Prefix denotes seedings

Men: third round: 6-Tommy Robredo (Esp) bt Stanislas Wawrinka (Sui) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2; Mikhail Youzhny (Rus) bt 11-David Ferrer (Esp) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4; Benjamin Becker (Ger) bt Andre Agassi (U.S.) 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-5.

Second round: 26-Olivier Rochus (Bel) bt Ryan Sweeting (U.S.) 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.

Women: third round: 12-Dinara Safina (Rus) bt Jarmila Gajdosova (Svk) 6-3, 6-0; 23-Anna Chakvetadze (Rus) bt Victoria Azarenka (Blr) 6-4, 6-3; 7-Patty Schnyder (Sui) bt Marion Bartoli (Fra) 0-6, 6-3, 6-3; 10-Lindsay Davenport (USA) bt 22-Katarina Srebotnik (Slo) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(5); Virginie Razzano (Fra) bt Kaia Kanepi (Est) 7-5, 6-2; 27-Tatiana Golovin (Fra) bt 3-Nadia Petrova (Rus) 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-3.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport