Agassi Tearful in Wimbledon Goodbye - 網球

Agassi Tearful in Wimbledon Goodbye

Saturday, 1 July, 2006

Time does not play fair in sport. If you choose to compete against it, you
may beat it for a while, but time will always have the last victory in the
end.

Andre Agassi played for the final time in his Wimbledon career this afternoon
on the Centre Court and it ended, as the match against time always does, in
defeat. Agassi was beaten by Rafael Nadal 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 6-4.

It was 3.45pm when Agassi began the very last game of his Wimbledon career.
Nadal, who many had thought might struggle against the American here, had
romped away to lead by two sets and a break, and was serving for the match.

Yet as Agassi left his chair to walk to the baseline, he was met by an
ovation so tumultuous it was as if he was on the brink of winning the
gentlemen's golden trophy once more, rather than kissing it goodbye once and
for all.
The game passed much in the manner of entire careers – too fast. Agassi sent
a backhand wide to give Nadal two match points. An unforced error from the
Spaniard saved one.

And so came the last point of the American's Wimbledon odyssey, but there was
to be no memorable final touch to remember him by. Nadal served an ace. It
was 3.47pm on Saturday July 1, and it was over.

Nadal stood respectfully and silently aside, as Agassi acknowledged the
crowd's vast applause. The 1992 champion had tears in his eyes and he was not
the only one. Yet at a moment when others might have been too overwhelmed to
find the right thing to say, Agassi was grace itself.

"There's no question it's been a lot of incredible years here," he told the
BBC's Sue Barker at courtside as the applause died away. "I'll never be able
to repay everyone here for how you've embraced me over the years and I thank
you for that.

"If you dream about being a professional tennis player, then you dream about
being right here. Wimbledon is it for us. I've had the privilege of being
here many times and I won't forget this one. You guys are awesome tennis fans
and you've shown me so much love. Coming back this year I didn't know what to
expect for myself but one thing I could count on was all that you've given
me. I thank you for that."

He did not linger after that. He gave a thumbs-up, a wave and a smile as the
crowd rose to him. Those standing in salute in the Royal Box included
quintuple Olympic gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave, who knows a thing or two
about greatness. And then, for the last time, Agassi was gone.

"It was a privilege to be out there for one last time," he said a little
later. "I shed a tear, and I have done this week on more than one occasion.
I'll look back on this as one of my most memorable experiences. To me, saying
goodbye means as much as winning."

So what, finally, will he miss most about Wimbledon?

"The people," declared Agassi. "All my friends, the familiar faces. You do
things in your life, some great things, some not so good, but the one thing
you remember through all those experiences are the people. It's that one
ballkid who looked at you a certain way, or who you said something to
afterwards.

"Wimbledon was the place that first taught me to respect the sport, to
appreciate the privilege of playing a game for a living. People work five
days a week to play at the weekend. We get to call it a job.

"It's a real humbling experience to arrive at Wimbledon in your car, and see
the people in the queues outside who practically live there for days just to
see a little bit of tennis, most likely on the back courts.

"I can't put a value on what's in my Wimbledon memory bank. I wouldn't sell
it for anything."

Written by Kate Battersby

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