High Drama at Ashe – A Match for the Ages

Arthur Ashe Stadium, night time. It was pulsing with lights, excitement, and anticipation. From the moment that bald head came out of the center court, the crowd was in delirium.

There was never a doubt that this was their house, and their master is Andre Agassi. He owns them. The “bad guy” for the night, Marcos Baghdatis, is a rising tennis star, likable with a sunny personality and a ready smile. In previous tournaments, he had shown the kind of talent he possesses and he is definitely one of the best players currently on tour. Earlier this year, he reached the finals in the Australian Open (lost to world no. 1 Roger Federer) and then the semifinals at Wimbledon (lost to world no. 2 Rafael Nadal).

Last year, Agassi reached the final of the U.S. Open, the last Grand Slam tournament (Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon are the other three) for a year, when nobody expected him to. He is, after all, 36. An age many a tennis player has long since retired. It was indeed a dream run. After that, because of persisting back problem, he missed much of the succeeding tournaments since the start of this year, announced his retirement at Wimbledon in June, and came to the U.S. Open unseeded (seeds are players expected to do good in the tournament). Many expected him to go out in the first round. He didn’t. Some didn’t want to get their hopes up high. He can’t beat Marcos, they say. It’ll be too much for him, with his ailing back.

The first two sets was a breeze for Andre. He was up two sets, and in his 21 years of successive U.S. Opens, he never lost a match when he is up two sets. He just needed one more, and that’s when all the drama really began. Just regaining his composure and rhythm, the raucous crowd was expectedly not showing him any mercy (they booed his winning shots and cheered on his errors till the end), Baghdatis took the third set. By the start of the fourth set, Agassi was ahead by four games, and the crowd was starting to feel that Andre may be finishing off the match. Marcos, for his part, has broken a racket in disgust (he was making plenty of errors) and had been visited by a trainer because he dropped on his wrist and was having leg cramps. But Marcos Baghdatis will not give up that easily. Just as fast Andre got to a 4-0 lead, his Cypriot opponent bounced back and leveled the set to 4-4, broke Andre’s serve and held his to take the set and go to a fifth, and last, one. Breaking Andre’s serve at the onset, the crowd fell silent. With Marcos playing beautifully, notwithstanding the fact that he is only 21 years old – - younger, fitter, and ranked much higher than Andre – - the tennis legend’s run at the Open looked to be heading to the finish line. But it was not to be. In what could be called the most dramatic turn of events that this tournament could ever hope for, Marcos was burdened by muscle cramps right after a masterfully executed shot, fell to the floor because he couldn’t stand on his legs, and got a time violation from the umpire. Limping hard to the court, he faced Andre’s serve. Amazingly, despite the obvious pain and discomfort, Marcos still managed to deliver some more winners. It was really tight at the end, but Agassi eventually became triumphant. The old guy still has game. He’s prolonging his goodbye just as the 23,000 people in attendance and millions of others glued to their TV sets was hoping for. It was as if the crowd is giving him the strength to relive all the glory he experienced in his illustrious career.

In the end, it would go down as a classic – - A match that will be talked about in many years to come. Both guys gave it their all. Marcos said in a post-match interview that he was willing to do everything to win. Andre, for his part, thanked the crowd for staying behind him so forcefully. Tearfully, he said that the support of all these people refreshed his faith in the human spirit. The same crowd that gave Marcos Baghdatis his due in the end. They applauded him for his great game, sportsmanship, and good heart. Someday, maybe, he will become a champion, too.

As for Andre, maybe his next match would be his last. But it wouldn’t matter. What Andre Agassi has given the first two rounds is enough for his farewell tour to end in a very high note. But, I dare say, don’t discount the old bald guy yet. He is Andre Agassi, after all. Yes, how about that?