It's Been Fun

Forgive me for this post, but I just can't resist! It is an understatement to say I'm not a sports fan. However, I do enjoy watching the occasional sporting event live, and maybe an annual televised football game too. However, since the early 1990s the one sport you can find me loosely following is tennis. I'd like to say it's because I appreciate the skill and strategy it takes to be a top player, but the reality is it came about because I liked watching Andre Agassi play.

I've watched him play great matches with the likes of Courier, Chang, Federer and Ivanisevic, but none more exciting than those with rival Pete Sampras. Somewhere along the line, I actually became a tennis fan (not as some would define the word, but it's as enthusiastic as I get over sports), and I enjoy watching a championship game from time to time throughout the year. I watched Agassi win his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 1992, and today I watched him play his last game, set and match.

Pete Sampras' retirement left a hole in the sport, and now as Andre follows suit, I know I will miss watching him play. If I continue to watch tennis it will only be because I learned to respect some of the other players' talents by watching them volley with Agassi. Friday's U.S. Open 2nd Round match with Marco Baghdatis was spectacular, going into the wee hours of Saturday morning, with Andre pulling out a win at last.

Today's 3rd Round match against the unknown Benjamin Becker (unrelated to Boris) didn't rise to that level of excitement, though you'd hardly know it by the cheering crowd that was unabashedly routing for Agassi to pull off a win. In the end he wasn't able to push aside his back pain and lost the match. I disagree with his politics and his personal life doesn't make him a role model I'd like for my children, but as far as watching him on the court, I will miss him and I have to say thanks...it's been fun!