Wrapping 2006: 10 to Remember

Hank,

As always, it’s been a long tennis season, so long it almost seems too late to go over it anymore. But it isn’t! This was a good year for the pro game, I thought, no matter what it may have lacked in scheduling logic, volleying skill, and unified marketing efforts. Looking back at the many great matches and strange occurrences of the last 12 months, these are the 10 moments I would say are deserving of that highly subjective term “most memorable.” Taken together, they reminded me again of why we love tennis: for the rawness and wildly swinging emotions on display. Who could possibly look at this list and say the game lacks personality?

10. Marcos Baghdatis Takes a Drink

Of rainwater, that is, in his semifinal at the Australian Open. Rather than curse an untimely rain delay at the end of his titanic five-set match with David Nalbandian, Baghdatis opened wide, stuck out his tongue, and enjoyed every moment of his debut in the spotlight. The game had a new star for the new year

9. Martina Hingis Makes It Look Easy

Like everything Hingis does on a court, she made her comeback after four years away appear effortless. She cruised to the quarterfinals of her first major, in Australia, as if she had never been away; won a prestigious title, the Italian Open, while beating one of the women who drove her from the tour, Venus Williams; and finished the year all the way up at No. 7 (I predicted No. 15). The power game had indeed passed her by—Kim Clijsters outslugged Hingis at both the Aussie and French Opens—but it was nice to see a top woman so content just to play tennis. In other words, to do what she does best.

8. The Bryans Brothers Finish the Job

You may not have even seen a highlight of this one, but Bob and Mike Bryan’s Wimbledon win was as historic as anything Roger Federer pulled off this year. The bros became only the third men’s team in the Open era to complete a career Grand Slam (after the Woodies and Haarhuis/Eltingh). OK, they’re still deeply uncool, but they’re no joke now (not to mention, they promote the sport as energetically as anyone). I liked Mike’s comment after their win: “It’s going to be sweet to say, ‘We’re Wimbledon champions.’” That’s a nice, Cali-style way of saying it was a long-time dream finally come true.

7. Andre Speaks

When Andre Agassi announced his retirement, we all knew the scene at Flushing Meadows would be a farewell of epic proportions. But what happened at Wimbledon was a testament to the American’s appeal beyond U.S. borders. After his loss to Rafael Nadal, the tournament broke custom and had Sue Barker interview a non-finalist on court for the first time. Quite an honor, when you think that this place has said its goodbyes to every great player in tennis history. I’ll always remember Barker’s last words: “Ladies and gentlemen, the great Andre Agassi.” Well said.

6. Amelie Mauresmo Wins, Hangs with the Loser

One image that will stick with tennis fans for a long time: Mauresmo at the Australian Open, on the same side of the net as the woman who had just handed her her first major title, Justine Henin-Hardenne. The best part, though, was the sly smile that crept across Mauresmo's face once she had done her duty. It doesn’t matter how you win, it still feels really, really good.

5. Amelie Mauresmo Wins, Drops to Court

Well, the first one might have felt really good, but this one looked like it felt much, much better. In a tight, well-played Wimbledon final, Mauresmo “shut a lot of people up” by holding off the year-end No. 1, Henin-Hardenne, 6-4 in the third set for her second major. Joy and relief at its rawest.

4. Jose Acasuso Staggers and Gets Helped Up

When Acasuso netted the final ball of the Davis Cup to give Marat Safin and Russia the championship, the TV cameras stayed with the Argentine. It was appropriate, because he was utterly stunned by the moment, so much that he staggered a little as he walked to the net. Seeing that, his teammates—who had fought tooth and nail all weekend to get Acasuso into the decisive match—quickly circled the wagons around him, while the Argentines in the audience paid tribute to a brilliant, dramatic weekend of tennis. Davis Cup will never go out of style.

3. Rafael Nadal Kicks Up Some Italian Dirt

The summit of the season came in Rome, where the world Nos. 1 and 2, Federer and Nadal, played their best match, a see-saw, five-hour marathon that Nadal won in a fifth-set tiebreaker. After all the high-kicking forehands, diabolical drop shots, and total absence of double faults (they hit one between them in five hours!), the moment that sticks with me was the way Nadal came out at 1-4 in the fifth, with Federer on a serious roll and the match seemingly lost. Nadal won the first point and did a furious fist-pump and leg kick combo, as if to say, “I’m still here.”

2. Roger Federer Loses It in Shanghai

The other Federer-Nadal classic was just two sets and something less than five hours, but what it lacked in operatic drama it made up for in hard-nosed, prize-fight intensity (if Rome was the 14-round Thrilla in Manilla, Shanghai was the famous Hearns-Hagler three-round bloodfest). The two rifled each other around the court at top speed until Federer found one last gear at match point. He tracked down a Nadal drop shot, flicked an all-or-nothing winner past a racing Nadal into the corner, and fell to his knees in a wild, spontaneous burst of emotion. Uncharacteristic? Maybe. Fitting? Absolutely. Federer had ended the season by pushing himself to a new peak to vanquish his one remaining rival.

1. Andre Chokes Up

What did you expect the No. 1 moment to be, Tommy Robredo winning Hamburg? This one is even more special to me because I was in the audience in Ashe Stadium. There was an eerie quiet as Agassi lost the last few points to Benjamin Becker. I even began to wonder if people realized that this was it. But of course, we did, and a tearful Agassi was more affected by our standing ovation than anyone thought he would be. Credit him for being a pro even in good-bye—he dried his tears just long enough to dismiss Mary Joe Fernandez, take the mike out of her hands, and get through a well-memorized speech. That was all anyone could ask.

One of the first words Andre got out was something about our “loyalty.” I cringed at first—“wrong word, too much”—but I came to think it was a good choice, and likely the honest one. He seemed to be speaking to me, because I can’t think of single time in Andre’s 21-year career when I rooted against him. The same must have been true of a lot of fans, because Andre obviously felt that loyalty from thousands of us. What inspired it? For me, it was the emotion and desire he always showed so transparently—it made you want him to succeed. He couldn’t hide a thing when he played, when he won, or when he lost. And he couldn’t hide a thing when he said goodbye.

Thanks, Hank, for taking time to do this. You had great insights about the sport, as usual.

Steve

PS to everyone else: The Andre-fest will continue tomorrow with the next episode in our book club: The Agassi Story, by Andre’s father, Mike.