Earlier this year, tennis legend Andre Agassi remarked that he'd be retiring after this year's US Open.Yesterday marked the beginning of Andre Agassi's "Farewell Tour" at the Open. The Living Agassi and the Leader of the Band (that's a song lyric somewhere I believe...) drew a first round opponent of another Andre... Andre Pavel. Although unseated, Pavel was no slouch. Pavel's backhand shots were very impressive that it would have Rick James jealous. Things didn't look all that stellar to start as Pavel would take the 1st set 7-6.
It seemed as if Pavel would also take the 2nd set as Pavel seemed to win his points more easily than Andre. New York, however, wouldn't let our hero die. Agassi, saying that he was determined to stay the entire 2 weeks of the Open (post-interview), dug down and lit a fire taking the 2nd set tie break.
After the intermission, the camera catches Agassi doing a happy skip. My man Jonny-Mac in the booth makes fun of Pavel taking offense to that and I guess it showed. Maybe, Agassi was winded playing his A+ game just to win a tie-break 2nd set. Whatever it was, it looked dreary as Andre would lose his first two serves and trail 0-4. After this, I jokingly posted on my computer that Pavel wasn't suppose to win. I was about to just switch the channels and decided to hang tough like the NY faithful. Well, the tennis gods must of heard me... After this bleak situation and my praying words, Andre, changes his racket and Pavel appears to get stomach problems affecting his movement. I would assume it was stomach problems because they didn't show Pavel get injuried in any replays. I belive Jonny-Mac makes a great line of an antiacid will be given to Pavel after the next break... Holy smokes, after 5 straight points, Agassi now leads the 3rd set 5-4!! Andre goes on to win the 3rd set in a 8-6 tie-break.
Pavel is obviously frustrated. He kicks the ball after so much heat from the crowd and the crowd gets on him even more. This is something John McEnroe would be proud of along with his killer backhand. I gotta feeling this Pavel could be a great Jonny-Mac to come.
As the tennis gods came to their senses, the New York magic, and Agassi's mojo, there was no way Andre would go out in the first round as Agassi comes back literally from the cliff of Mt. Everest and climbs to the top! If Pete Sampras can go out on top by winning the US Open, I sure hope the magic is still alive for our American hero Andre Agassi to fulfill the same destiny...
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