Last week pulled down the curtains on an era. With Sampras already have retired in 2002(official announcement in 2003), the retirement of Andre Agassi last week left a void in the tennis circuit which would be pretty hard to fill up. This would be the case at least for me. It was Pete & Andre who attracted me to Tennis. They, along with Monica Seles & Steffi Graf, were the ones who made watching tennis so much more interesting. The rivalry which the above 2 groups of players shared resulted in many a visual treats.
Pete and Andre are two of the greatest tennis champions of all time and their play has served as a timeless entertainment for tennis fans worldwide. There will always be a debate between their fans as to who is the better of the two. Their style of play is as different as chalk from cheese. Sampras is a great server of the ball (just love his aces.. :)..) & Agassi, a great returner. Sampras is a better player on grass courts and Agassi would be dominant on clay courts. Sampras’s style is as plain & unpretentious as Agassi’s is flamboyant. Even with so many differences between them both dominated the tennis circuit during the same era. The rivalry which they shared helped bring out the best in them. Both acknowledge that they have used each other as a yardstick for upping their respective games. They also share a great deal of mutual respect for each other. Hence it was just appropriate that the last grand slam match that Pete played (& won, US open 2002) was against his biggest rival, Agassi. A fitting end to a glorious carrier. It’s sad that Agassi could not end his career with a win. Never the less he will always be a proud member of the grand slam Hall of Fame.
Pete and Andre are two of the greatest tennis champions of all time and their play has served as a timeless entertainment for tennis fans worldwide. There will always be a debate between their fans as to who is the better of the two. Their style of play is as different as chalk from cheese. Sampras is a great server of the ball (just love his aces.. :)..) & Agassi, a great returner. Sampras is a better player on grass courts and Agassi would be dominant on clay courts. Sampras’s style is as plain & unpretentious as Agassi’s is flamboyant. Even with so many differences between them both dominated the tennis circuit during the same era. The rivalry which they shared helped bring out the best in them. Both acknowledge that they have used each other as a yardstick for upping their respective games. They also share a great deal of mutual respect for each other. Hence it was just appropriate that the last grand slam match that Pete played (& won, US open 2002) was against his biggest rival, Agassi. A fitting end to a glorious carrier. It’s sad that Agassi could not end his career with a win. Never the less he will always be a proud member of the grand slam Hall of Fame.
It was not just the game but also the attitude which they possess, which made them so special. Not just great tennis players, they are also great sportsperson. New players have risen to fill up the void. Federer is already on a fast track, closely followed by Roddick, Hewitt, Nadal & the likes. But simply put Pete & Andre are just irreplaceable.
