An ace called Agassi

The emotional standing ovation he received was a confirmation of his status as a legend

For an entire generation that got initiated into international tennis through Doordarshan8217;s Grand Slam final telecast four times a year, this Sunday brought a wave of nostalgia. Reading 8216;A Agassi vs B Becker8217; on the Centre Court scoreboard at the US Open brought back memories of collective family viewing in an earlier era.

Except for the familiar looking scoreboard, everything on the screen was different this Sunday. For starters, every single sweat bead on the 35-year-old Agassi8217;s forehead was visible this time around, thanks to the clarity of satellite telecasting. The original 8216;B Becker8217;, who used to play at Flushing Meadows, had long retired but his countryman with similar initials was creating a stir at the newly named USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The passionate living room tennis atmosphere too was missing, for there were many who crossed their fingers for old times8217; sake.

For most 30-plus tennis fans, Agassi still had it in him to keep them glued to the screen. While his and our contemporaries 8212; Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Michael Stich, Stephan Edberg 8212; didn8217;t quite survive the rigours of the pro-tour when on the wrong side of the 30s, Agassi stayed afloat. Not just stayed afloat but at times created waves 8212; after all in the last US Open final he lost to Roger Federer. Agassi8217;s last walk also brought to an end an era when Grand Slam tennis wasn8217;t a saturating media show but a highly anticipated select opportunity to have a glimpse of greatness.

One got a glimpse of that era a day before Agassi8217;s farewell at the US Open. In a touching tribute, his friend and proteacute;geacute;, James Blake, gave a glimpse of the Agassi of the 8217;90s. Under a black and grey sweatshirt, he wore the typically-Agassi fluorescent pink spandex shorts. Blake8217;s retro-look seemed totally out of place in the modern tennis fashion of subtly designed T-shirts and rappers like knee-length shorts. It just made one realise Agassi8217;s long journey.

When, in the early 8217;90s, Agassi became a regular during the final days of the Grand Slam he was a 22-year-old with his flowing blonde mane and rainbow head band. He was seen as the gifted Las Vegas kid with a temperament, who flew in a personal jet and led a fast life. Even the high-rollers from his city wouldn8217;t have betted that their boy would last 21 years on court and, at the end of it, be the only player in the open era to win all the Grand Slam titles plus an Olympic gold medal.

The US stars of that time seemed more likely to last longer. Many predicted that it will be Pete Sampras with his big serve, easy movement on court, and Mr Perfect Jim Courier, who would keep the Stars and Stripes flying high in the next millennium. But, with time, Agassi sobered. The colours on his T-shirt faded and the receding hairline made the blonde mane disappear. When Sampras and Courier retired and the next generation of US players like Andy Roddick didn8217;t quite live up to expectations, Agassi was seen as the saviour for tennis8217;s superpower.

In his early days, with his colourful look, Agassi was a big draw with the crowd. This Sunday it was evident that the 35-year-old family man still had no problem connecting with fans. With his wife Steffi Graf 8212; who many see as the inspiration for Agassi8217;s second wind 8212; and two kids joining the full-house, emotional standing ovation, it seemed a perfect end to a satisfying career. A confirmation of his status as a legend.

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For the generation that grew up watching DD live feeds, it was also time to move on. It was always tough breaking old bonds and switching loyalties when Agassi was on court. In the second round against Marcos Baghdatis, the mind asked one to support the underdog from Cyprus, but the heart still beat for Agassi. During every injury break that Baghdatis took, one crossed one8217;s fingers to hope that the lastest-kid-on-the-block wouldn8217;t get up. Graf8217;s agonising face in the stands didn8217;t make things easy for Baghdatis.

Agassi survived the five-set encounter that day but failed to cross the B. Becker hurdle. On a more positive note, it will be easy being a tennis fan in the post-Agassi era. Objectivity will prevail. The head will be allowed to rule, since the heart wouldn8217;t be too involved. But even that isn8217;t a great feeling.