I don't know if anyone has started a thread for this but I'm just so excited for the upcoming US OPEN.

Are there any big tennis fans around here at etrainstation? Who is your favorite tennis player, current or retired? What's your favorite match ever?

I absolutely love Steffi Graf and I love her French Open Final match in 1999 against Hingis.

Yeah, we had a tennis thread going around Wimbledon time, I believe. I am a big Roger Federer fan. Man, I love to watch him play. He really has brought this admirable intelligence, great sportsmanship, grace and almost magic to the game. Also have enjoyed watching Baghdatis recently, and of course, the run that Rafael Nadal is having is great to see. A long time ago, I loved Boris Becker and, of course, Martina. Oh, also used to love to watch Gabriela Sabatini play, among many, many others.

Yeah I love to watch Federer too one because he never loses and two, he always, always comes up with these stupendous shots.

Hello tennis fans.

My family and I are huge tennis fans. We are in NY so will be attending the US Open next week. My daughter is a competetive player and my husband was a ranked junior in the UK.

My favorite all-time players are John McEnroe and Patrick Rafter. Women players are Steffi and Martina.

My daughter and I love Roger Federer, Agaasi and Rafael Nadal. We met Federer at a tournament down in Florida and he is a charming and intelligent man. A true gentleman. He is also much more handsome in person.

So happy to find some tennis fans on the e-train.

Cheers

Not a huge fan, but my boss is - which means she leaves this morning and will be gone all next week - she goes to the Open every year. Yay! It's so relaxing around here when she's out of town! LOL

OMG you are so lucky, I hope you get to be there on Agassi's last match so you can tell me about it, I mean, please. If I knew that before he made the announcement, I'd have gotten tickets too!

Two generations of tennis lovers here. Started out as a kid watching Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg and Ille Nastase play. Now my daughter and I watch Rafael Nadal, James Blake and Andy Roddick. Lived in Newport, RI for awhile where tennis is HUGE! Good times there.

Did any of you watch the awesome match between Agassi and Pavel? It was GREAT!!! What a match! What a fighter Agassi is. I was so emotional, because I love the man. He will always be #1 to me, even if the stats say otherwise. He is the reason I bought my first tennis racket, the reason I fell in love with the game of tennis.

The crowd was wild for Agassi! :woohoo:

Agassi won 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 6-2. The way he came from behind in the 3rd set, after being down 4-0, was completely awesome. :woohoo:

My other favorite tennis players are Roger Federer, and I always loved to watch Steffi play. Agassi has always been my favorite, though, so I'm very emotional about this US Open.

I love watching tennis too. My all-time favourite player is Andre Agassi, so I'm hoping I'll be able to see his final match, but I'm in England so it could be in the middle of the night here! I saw his final match at Wimbledon (on TV), and it was very emotional, so I'm sure it will be even more so this time.

I would like to see Andy Murray from Scotland do well, also Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick.

A favourite of mine from the past is Goran Ivanisevic. I was so happy when he won Wimbledon.

I've been to Wimbledon several times, but not in recent years. I was lucky enough to see Ilie Nastase play there.

I was so worried during the 3rd set when Agassi was down 0-4 because Pavel was absolutely torching those backhands, I mean, it was so impressive that it was almost Federer-like. Thank god for them newly-strung racquets, Andre turned it around after he got them.

Now, I'm worried about Bagdahtis because he's young, he's consistent and he's not easy to root against. Agassi in 4, I hope!

The Agassi Pavel match was stupendous!!! Stephan Edberg was my fav! Saw him play in Indianapolis and the Masters Cup when it was at Madison Square Garden and in Washington D.C. saw Agassi there as well too back in 1995. Saw Martina Navratilova play in World Team Tennis a couple years ago in Delaware. I've been watching Tennis since early 80's. Oh! Saw McEnroe in Indianapolis as well.

I know. I was freaking out. My stomach had started to sink, and I was like PLEASE do not let this happen. Please make it past the first round, or I will die. Thank God for those new rackets! And for those wild New Yorkers who really, REALLY rallied to Andre's defense. Pavel will probably despise NY after that!!! I didn't care, though, because I wanted to see my sweet Andre win at least one more match. Andre is such a fighter. I am going to miss him so much.
Today, I was watching his match against James Blake from last year. They were showing it because today's matches were mostly rained out. It was so exciting to watch again, and I was so glad that I already knew the results. I remember dying watching it last year. Andre the fighter, coming back from down 2 sets, winning it all in the fifth set tie-breaker. It truly was "one for the ages" like they said.

I know that his next match is going to be tough. I hope he can pull it off, though. :cheerleader:

I hope you don't miss Andre's last match. If you happen to miss it, they'll probably be replaying it. I will be very VERY emotional. There's just something about him that touches my heart. He's such a great person. When it was match point during the match against Pavel, he got all choked up when the crowd was screaming for him. I was like :cry:.

GO ANDRE!!! :cheerleader:

I'm a longtime tennis fan, since 1981. Being from NYC and a sports fan, this is always one of my favorite times of the year (baseball pennant races, the start of football, the U.S. Open, etc.). During the U.S. Open, I could see the blimp hovering over the Nat'l. Tennis Center from my apartment and a few times the blimp went by our windows while making its rounds of the city.

My favorite female tennis player is Venus Williams. I like Serena too, but Venus is my fave. My all-time favorite female tennis player is Chris Evert. My favorite male tennis player is Andre Agassi. I've been following Andre since the 1988 U.S. Open. I've seen the ups and downs, the different clothes and hairstyles, and the criticisms and the praises. I remember when he was accused of "tanking" matches, people saying that he couldn't play five-setters, criticizing him for not playing Wimbledon and saying his baseline game wouldn't work on grass. I think all of his accomplishments are amazing and for him to have made the progression to being one of the most revered players in the sport is amazing as well.

Andre's had a fabulous career and I wish him all the best!

Agassi fans: If you haven't read this article from July's Sports Illustrated, it is an excellent and in-depth read. It is pretty long, but well worth the time. Here's the link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/maga...0717/index.html

Who else couldn't breathe during the 5th set against Bagdahtis? I was all over my TV set, yelling and jumping and oooh-ing. Agassi lives to play another match, I so cannot wait! :woohoo:

I was DYING!!!! I couldn't believe it.

First, I couldn't believe he was up 2 sets, and that Baghdatis seemed less than driven.

I couldn't believe Andre was up 4-Love in the 4th set, and he only needed 2 more games to win the match. I was so excited. Then, I could NOT believe that Baghdatis came back from being down 2 breaks. I was like NO!!! My stomach was sinking. I was scared, because of Andre's back, that he wouldn't be able to go strong till the end. I was so upset.

I couldn't believe how many times Baghdatis needed medical attention. Who was the "old guy" out there tonight? I couldn't believe when he collapsed and was having so much trouble. I couldn't believe that he still was winning points. Andre didn't take unfair advantage of the situation, which was very classy, but I was like "Andre...put the nail in the coffin!" It must have been hard for both of them to know how to react.

I was sick to my stomach, just knowing that this unbelievable match that Agassi owned in the first two sets, was going to all come down to a 5th set tie-break.....

I was so happy, relieved, and kinda surprised that we didn't have to endure the tie-break. Agassi won. WOO-HOO!!!!

I was so flippin happy for him. I lost my voice screaming "C'mon Andre" all through the match, and my hands sting from clapping so hard during all of the good stuff from beginning to end.

Baghdatis was a real trooper. He showed class and understood the crowd, unlike Pavel from the first round. He's right about Agassi. He's more than a legend. I gained a lot of respect for Baghdatis during the match.

Andre Agassi.....He is such a fighter. He has such a great spirit. I never can imagine cheering so hard for another tennis player as long as I live. He's one of a kind.

:woohoo: 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 7-5 :woohoo:
I'm so happy he won.
Congrats, Andre!!! Keep it comin!

I'm glad to hear that Andre won the match last night! Due to TS Ernesto, we lost power here during the middle of the third set. Wow, I can't believe the match went to five sets -- go Andre!!

I <3 Andy Roddick.
wooooooooo!


and I like Nadal and his capris! haha

I think the rules regarding cramps really need a revision. It was crazy, inhumane and painful to watch Marcos out there barely able to stand and not be able to get a medical break. Didn't and doesn't contribute to a fair match or a clean win.

Also, the pressure on Agazzi, from both the media, the public and maybe himself is enormous right now. It really seems like he's between a rock and a hard place. Any additional cortisone shots are medically ill-advised and very dangerous to his long-term health. And yet he can barely move now. I read that his father wants him to quit now and not play on Saturday. I think that is probably the wisest thing to do, yet everyone wants to see him keep going. This is where fans and expectations collide against self-care. I mean really. Are we so attached to watching the man play out the US Open so we can see and cheer him on, even if it means he's hobbling, crippled or in pain the rest of his life?

movin2thebeet, Andre is a grown man, a husband and a father. He is smart, and he knows about risks and responsibilities. He isn't going to do anything to jeapordize his life or his future. He said that in the press conference after the match. There are other treatments besides cortizone shots that he can take advantage of if he chooses to. He wants to take this all in and enjoy every minute of it, since it is his last. If he's able to play another match, he will try. He wanted to play in Wimbledon and the US Open one more time, so he intentionally did not play in the other major touraments this year (the reason his ranking is as low as it is). He said that if he just retired without playing in these two tournaments, it would be more like "quitting" than "retiring". I think he's doing what he's doing for himself and for the fans of the sport, and out of simple respect to the game of tennis which he's been a part of for 20 years professionally, and he's been playing since he was a child. I have to respect that. He's such a fighter. It is part of who he is, and unless it is absolutely impossible for him, I can't see him just giving up. He has too much respect for the game.

Plus, it may rain tomorrow night, and he may have an additional day to recover.

I certainly do not want to see him suffer or be in terrible pain, but whatever he chooses to do, whatever he is able to do, I respect his decision 100%.



So now, on a lighter note...did anyone see James Blake play today? How cool was his "tribute to Andre" via clothing choice? I loved it. So cool. Go James!!! :cheerleader:

With all the rain we're having right now here in NJ and NY, I don't think he'll be playing tomorrow or even Sunday. The news just said it'll be "freakin" raining 'til Monday morning.

I hope he doesn't quit, that's exactly what he doesn't want to do.

YAY for rain! (Boo to flooding and damage it can do to areas affected.) But, yay for rain at the Open.

I agree with you. Andre would absolutely hate to quit. He would be heartsick. Just look at how happy he was skipping around on the court. He's like a kid just trying to have fun and take it all in, but he's kicking butt at the same time. He's living it, he's loving it. He's an inspiration.

Here's a link to the transcript of his press conference after the match Thurs night if anyone's interested in what he had to say. http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/interview...7136515171.html

I'm so sorry you lost your power. :( I hope you got a chance to see it today when they replayed the 2nd half of it. Today was like a tribute to Andre, because all the matches were rained out. They showed some bits of matches and also interviews/montages. I wish they would have shown the matches the 2 times he won the US Open title, though. Maybe they'll do that some other day.

A. Agassi vs. B. Becker Sunday morning! Good luck Andre!!! :cheerleader:

Yeah, I totally cried my eyes out today. Right when the match started I had the feeling (kinda like 33.08% feeling) that I have to watch this because this would be Andre Agassi's last match. I was really hurting for him because he looked like he was hurting out there on the court. I couldn't believe how well that Becker guy was serving today. I'm sad for my tennis viewing but I suppose I should be happy for him. :(

Anyway, I will truly miss Andre Agassi, he and Steffi Graf were the reasons I took up tennis and my life became better for it.

My favorites are:
Aggasi.....Bagdahtis.....Roddick
I cried like a baby after Andres last match. Not so much because he lost,but it was just SO emotional.
If he had not been in so much pain , I know he could have ruled that match.
I don't think Bagathis was playing up to his usual greatness , but although I am a big Bagathis fan, I was rooting for Andre in that one.
Glad Roddick pulled off that 5 setter yesterday.
Hoping he can win the whole thing.
I am sad because I will be out of town this weekend and won't get to see the finals(unless they are heald over til Mon beacuse of rain)
I will be traveling on Sun afternoon. Boo Hoo :(

Thanks brwneydgirl. It's such a shame that Andre didn't advance further. For the sake of his health, I guess the result was the best thing for him. On ESPN's Sportscenter, there was a nice (but a little too short) retrospective of Andre's career.

I wish Andre all the best in the future. He's had an amazing career and tennis just won't be the same.

Well, with Andre out, Serena's loss last night, and Venus being injured, I don't think will be watching the rest of the Open. :(

I cried when I watched the match too. Like you I had a feeling Andre just couldn't make it one more match. I hope he will stay close to tennis because he has so much to offer.

Last night I stayed up late watching Leyton Hewitt play Richard Gasquet. I was wondering if anyone saw this because it was an amazing match and both players showed a lot of heart and soul.

Had a great time at the Open this year. My daughter and I met Jimmy Connors at his DVD signing. What a thrill for both of us. He was very friendly and sat and chatted about tennis with my daughter.

I'm picking Federer as the men's winner and Mauresmo as the women's winner. What does everyone else think??

I am totally cheering for Roger Federer and believe he's going to maintain his dominance in tennis and on this court (although you never know). I think both Nadal and Roddick could give him some strong competition so I look forward to that. I've been watching a fair amount of the men's singles games on TV and I've noticed that besides all the attention on Agassi, most of the talk has been about Nadal and then Roddick. Roger mostly gets mentioned as the guy you don't want to play, the guy that dashes your hopes, kind of the current yardstick against which others are measured. I guess that's what happens the longer you stay at Number One. Also, he doesn't have all the show and dazzle of some other players which tends to get more attention. He gets alot of respect, though, for his game, his seeming effortlessness and his intelligence, both on and off the court.

As far as the women go, you never know how Amelie Mauresmo is going to do with her mental state. Did you see the game yesterday? The second match was completely a mess. I do hand it to her for not succumbing, and coming back strong to take the match in the 3rd. I think both Sarapova and especially Hardin-Hardenne will seriously challenge her, but I hope she wins.

Oh, and I did catch most of the Hewitt-Gasquet game, although I wasn't giving it my full attention the longer it went on. Great game though. In my area, TV coverage ended just as they were going into the 5th game, I think. It was really crazy. I went for a break and it was gone, just when it was really heating up! I tried to watch it on-line but my computer kept on rebooting or freezing the screen every 30 seconds so it wasn't a very enjoyable experience. Zero continuity. Oh well. Hopefully this won't happen again, but with all the rain delays I do wonder how it will affect the TV coverage.

Boo Hoo....I didn't get to see any tennis this afternoon or tonight. Does anyone know how this (rain delays) will affect the schedule? Will the mens final still be on Sunday?

I actually had began to cheer for Davenport even though I've never been a big fan of hers. I like watching her and she hasn't won a major since 2000. Mauresmo was really impressive against Serena last night, I thought she would cave into the pressure because it's very hard to beat Williams especially in a Grand Slam. Henin-Hardenne will be too tough to beat and Sharapova looks like she is primed for her next major but I think I'm gonna start pulling for Davenport.

As for the men's, I hate to admit it but Federer is clearly the favorite but I'm still hoping that Nadal or Roddick would put up a fight against him in the final. Also, if Blake impossibly gets by Federer in the quarterfinals, he should totally win the tournament.

As for last night's match, it's too bad Gasquet cramped because I love watching him hit his backhand, it's just as pretty and impressive as Federer's and Henin-Hardenne's. Did you guys see that shot he hit from 20 feet beyond the baseline at match point, you couldn't even see him in the camera.

Add me to the list of cryers. :( I had a feeling that it was going to be the end of the road that day. It was sad to think about the pain that he was in. I was torn between being relieved for the sake of his health that he didn't have to play another match, and being sad that it was all over. It is so hard to say goodbye to someone you've been rooting for so long. No matter if he won or lost, Andre was always my favorite tennis player for so many reasons. In a way, he is the one who made me a fan of the sport. Through the years as he evolved, I grew to respect him more and more. I am sure that he will continue to make an impact off the court, with his philanthropy, but I will miss watching him play tennis. I will miss rooting for him, crying when he won and when he didn't.

His farewell speach was a thing of beauty that touched my heart. I don't know how he could even pull the words together so eloquently. I don't think I'll ever forget that day. I already miss him. :( I still have an Agassi-hangover.


As far as the others go, I've been watching most of the matches. I watched the Hewitt-Gasquet match. It was awesome! I was cheering for Lleyton, and I was glad he won. Gasquet was very impressive, though. I felt bad for American Robby Ginepri, that he lost in a 5th set tiebreak. He seemed to be in control until Haas took that 3-minute timeout for his cramps. I felt like Ginepri was being "iced" like they do to a kicker in a football game. I think it took away his momentum.

Of the ones who are left, I like Blake the most. I'd love to see him do well. I also like Nadal, Federer, and Hewitt. They're all great, and I don't know who I like the most. For the women, I like Davenport the most, then Mauresmo, Sharapova, and Jankovic.

Tennis is an awesome sport. I've been watching the major matches throughout the week and was very impressed by many people. Did anyone watch the Women's Final tonight? I thought it was a great match. It went 6-4 6-4 with Maria Sharapova winning the championship. It was tough because both of Henin-Hardenne and Sharapova are likeable tennis players with their own style.

Actually, I think Henin-Hardenne has become a lot less likeable when she started to dominate everyone. Somehow, I stopped cheering for her. I can't believe she didn't put up a fight tonight against Sharapova who was absolutely on fire. I'm so happy for her that I almost pretty myself!

Yeah, I was also surprised that Henin- Hardenne didn't put up more of a fight.

Did you all catch the final with Roger and Andy? Great game! So glad that Federer is keeping his focus and cool through all the pressure and just playing his game. Beautiful to watch! Looked like Andy really picked up his game but was not able to stay at that high level throughout the match. Roger had pockets of trouble too but seemed to bring his A game when he most needed to.

Congratulations to Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova! Two great matches!

As great as Federer is, I'm getting tired of watching him not being challenged by anyone except Nadal. I hoped Roddick would win but in reality, I don't think anybody can beat Federer at his best, at least not right now.

man i was really hoping andy would win. dang roger.

I know, it is frustrating when someone is just too good, but I do enjoy watching him. It is like a genius at work, and I can't help but watch in awe when Federer plays. I was really hoping that James Blake would pull off the upset in the quarterfinals, but in reality I knew better. I see Blake getting better, and he is such a good guy - so genuine, that I really hope he can win a grand slam event in the next couple of years.

I see I'm completely late getting to this thread, but I, too am a huge tennis fan. I especially like Andy Roddick. I've been following him (well, not LITERALLY!) since he (and I) were 18. I am glad to see that he has grown in his game recently...to make it to the final and get a set from Federer was huge for him. He also handled the defeat very graciously...really good to see from him. I look forward to seeing more good things from him in the future.

I'll read through this thread and see if I have anything else to add.


ETA: I'm not that into women's tennis, but I do watch it sometimes. I guess my favorite right now is Sharapova. She is a great player and she's only going to get better, I think. Did you guys see when the top of her trophy fell off. Too funny!