US Open 2006

US Open 2006 is perhaps the most memorable sports event to me, even though I just followed the games on and off due to my crazy work load in the past two weeks. It’s not just because that Roger Federer routinely defeated resurgent Andy Roddick and picked up his 9th Grand Slam title, surpassing Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, and Jimmy Connors, and keeping on chasing Pete Sampras‘s record, but more importantly, because Andre Agassi‘s retiring, which officially marks the end of an Era — The Great Rivalry between Sampras and Agassi, Two Legendary American Players.

 

Pete Sampras, the king of Tennis, is one of my most favorite athletes. He was so dominant, just like Michael Jordan to Basketball, Tiger Woods to Golf, or Pele to Soccer. I still remember three years ago, when he announced in the press that he wouldn’t participate in US Open 2003 and thereof retired, tears was all over my face. I couldn’t bear the thought of watching Tennis games where Sampras would no longer be there. At that moment, all I thought was Tennis would be lackluster without Sampras. As time past by, however, I came to realize that the reason why Sampras was so great is all because of Andre Agassi. Sampras‘s record of 14 Grand Slam titles may one day be broken (Given Federer‘s efficiency and dominancy, it’s not totally out of the question), but one thing people will talk about forever is the 10-year bitter-sweet rivalry between him and Agassi. Although holding a significant head-to-head edge, Sampras had to play his best games when facing Agassi. It’s Agassi who drove Sampras to play to the maximum of his skill potential, and tested his ultimate degree of mental and physical toughness.

 

Therefore, ever since Sampras‘s retiring, I began to root for Andre Agassi. If Sampras is the thunder to Tennis, then Agassi is the lightening. However, except for being the greatest genius in Tennis, Agassi and Sampras almost have nothing in common. Unlike Sampras‘s consistency, introvert, and only letting his records speak for themselves, Agassi is full of charisma. His career path spans from starting out as an unruly kid who was larger than life, to eventually becoming a matured man and an excellent husband and father. After being defeated by Benjamin Becker (totally unrelated to Boris Becker) at US Open 2006, he said "The scoreboard said I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn’t say is what it is I have found. And over the last 21 years, I have found loyalty. You have pulled for me on the court and also in life!". His emotional outpouring had everybody shed his/her tear. Indeed, his career has seen so many lengendary stories: starting his career beging a maverick; involving with Brooke Shields which saw his career went downhill; his resurgence after new romance with Stefi Graf, the queen of Tennis; his claiming of Career Grand Slam (winning Australia Open, French Open, Wimbolden, and US Open) — a deed even Sampras was unable to accomplish, and so much more! Had it not been for his injuries, I dare to say that nobody in the world except Federer has an advantage when playing Agassi, who is already in his late 30s right now. In fact, at the later stage of his career, he played Tennis not because of championships but because of his love of the games. He enjoyed the sport so much that he played every game as if it’s his last one. Unlike Sampras, who finished his career perfectly with his final victory at US Open 2002, Agassi knew that his chance of winning the championship of US Open 2006 was so slim because Tennis is now living under Federer’s reign. But he still kept playing until his body finally betrayed him and dragged him down. To that sense, I think Agassi is even more courageous than Sampras!

 

With the departure of Agassi, the legend of Sampras and Agassi also came to an end. Even though today Roger Federer (my favourite player right now) is unanimously agreed to be one of the all time great, I personally think that he still has a long way to go to reach Sampras‘ and Agassi‘s level. And to see that happens, someone in the pack has to stand out and make great challenge to Federer.

 

The rise of Sampras and Agassi started when I was still in high school, and the great rivalry has accompanied me through all these years. To those who were born in the 70’s, they are the greatest players forever. And now I am getting old and the Legend is also gone. Isn’t it one of the saddest things to us in this world?

 

Anyway, Kudos to Sampras!! Kudos to Agassi!!

 

P.S. I changed the background music to "Remember the Names", which I think is a very good, if not the most appropriate, tribute to Sampras and Agassi.