Tear-Filled Andre Agassi Ends Career

After 1144 pro matches, 60 titles and 21 consecutive US Opens, the curtain finally fell on Andre Agassi's remarkable career Sunday when the 36-year-old's ailing body was unable to keep pace with big-serving German Benjamin Becker, who won their third-round meeting 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5.

Despite having his movement severely restricted by his aching back, Agassi never conceded the match, nor entertained thoughts of retiring to end the crippling pain. Indeed his perseverance earned him one set point on Becker's serve at 5-4 in the fourth set, but Becker's aggressive second serve caught a fraction of the service line, denying Agassi a shot at a fifth set.

Becker, no relation to three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker, cracked 82 winners, including 27 aces. Agassi gave up 83 winners in his epic five-set victory against Marcos Baghdatis in the second round and 59 winners in his four-set win over Andrei Pavel in the first round.

As 23,000 fans in Arthur Ashe Stadium delivered Agassi a standing ovation that lasted several minutes, the two-time US Open champion wiped away tears as he sat in his court side chair and he twice walked to the center of the court to blow kisses to the four corners of the stadium.

With his voice faltering with emotion, Agassi told fans: "The scoreboard says I lost today, but what scoreboard doesn't say is what it is I have found. Over the last 21 years I have found loyalty; you have pulled for me on the court and also in life. I have found inspiration. You have willed me to succeed, sometimes even in my lowest moments. And I have found generosity. You have given me your shoulders to stand on to reach for my dreams; dreams I could never have reached without you. Over the the last 21 years I have found you and I will take you and the memory of you with me for the rest of my life."

When Agassi returned to the locker room he received another standing ovation - this time from his peers. "They all were standing, applauding me," Agassi said in his post-match press conference. "I tell you, the greatest applause that any person will ever receive in their life is that which comes from their peers. It's not like we're a company who's working together to accomplish something. We're people that succeed, in some cases, at the demise of the other. To have them applaud you is the ultimate compliment."

Agassi also revealed how much pain he endured to compete at this year's US Open. "After my second round match against Baghdatis, that was the worst I've ever been. I just credit the doctors that I was able to get out there today. It's been such a day by day battle. It was such a telling sign the way I felt after my last match that I didn't expect a whole lot physically. Sure enough, it was real early where I wasn't feeling so good. That all doesn't matter any more.

"I went out there not feeling terrible pain, but sort of pretty tight from everything that had transpired a few nights earlier. The pain came quickly. It can do that, and it did. I know I was in trouble at that point. You immediately start cutting corners that you know are going to come back to sort of haunt you."

In other results Sunday, World No. 5 Tommy Robredo advanced to the round of 16 for the third consecutive year with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Swiss No. 2 Stanislas Wawrinka. The Spaniard, who has dropped just one set in three matches, next faces Russian Mikhail Youzhny, who upset Robredo's countryman and 11th seed David Ferrer in four sets.

Youzhny rallied from a set down to win 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. Robredo is a two-time Roland Garros quarterfinalist (2003, '05) but is yet to reach the last eight of a Grand Slam final outside Paris. (ATP)