Andre Agassi was not just popular for his 8-time Grand Slam win. He is regarded as one of the all-time greats for how he played and got under the skin of his opponents.
One famous instance is how he studied Boris Becker for hours before being able to beat him. Agassi was also a master at playing the return shot, something only possible for someone with a strong backhand.
This backhand of Agassi came in handy for him on many occasions. One such occasion was the 2005 US Open quarter-finals when Agassi played against Miami Open director James Blake. James Blake had a pretty fantastic tournament so far, beating Rafael Nadal and Igor Andreev, among others, on the way.
The quarter-final match was a match to remember, as the USTA did recently. Agassi won the match 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6). He came back from two sets down, that too very badly, to win the next three, especially the final set in a tiebreaker.
The win was memorable, but one ‘rally’ from that match was so iconic, that the United States Tennis Association shared it on their YouTube page. This was after the score was 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6.
The tiebreaker was on, and both Agassi and Blake were taking one point each in turns. It wasn’t until this incredible rally tipped the game in Agassi’s favor. He scored one more point after that and won the tiebreaker 8-6.
Agassi advanced to the semi-final, where he beat Robby Ginepri, before losing to Roger Federer in the final. But this final ‘rally’ against Blake might just be the most iconic moment from that tournament for Agassi.
Agassi’s rallies were particularly effective since he studied and read the games of his opponent very thoroughly. Therefore, during a long rally, he knew exactly what to do, based upon his opponent’s weakness.
How did Andre Agassi and James Blake feel after the match?
Right after winning the memorable match against Blake, Agassi made this memorable statement that resonated with thousands in the crowd.
Agassi said, “I wasn’t the winner. Tennis was.”
Agassi’s win over Blake was a momentous occasion for more than one reason. Agassi was 35 years old at the time, playing in his 13th US Open.
Blake, on the other hand, was in the prime form of his life and had earned the ‘Comeback Player of the Year’ honor in 2005. Despite that, Agassi beat Blake, who was 25 years old.
After his loss to Agassi, James Blake too made a memorable statement.
Blake said, “It couldn’t have been more fun to lose,” before congratulating Agassi.
