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By Martyn Herman
LONDON, July 1 - Andre Agassi's 14th and final
Wimbledon fling was ended in brutal fashion by second seed
Rafael Nadal on Saturday, the Spaniard winning 7-6 6-2 6-4 on a
baking hot day on Centre Court.
The 36-year-old American was given a thunderous reception
when he walked on court and an emotional one at the end as he
bowed and blew kisses to the crowd in the historic arena he has
graced so many times.
"I've had so many incredible years here," Agassi, one of
only five men to have won all four grand slam titles, told fans.
"I will never be able to repay you for how you've embraced
me over the years. You're awesome tennis fans and you've shown
me so much love."
For more than an hour the Las Vegan shotmaker rolled back
the years to 1992, his sole Wimbledon triumph, going toe to toe
with the merciless 20-year-old double French Open winner who had
bounced on to court like a prize fighter.
The precocious Nadal, who appears to be revelling in the
challenge of mastering grasscourt tennis, added his tribute to
Agassi after a masterly display.
"It's unbelievable for me," he said. "To play one of the
best players in the history of tennis on Centre Court.
"This was my best match on grass, I'm very happy."
Nadal's relentless baseline power stretched every sinew in
Agassi's creaking frame in a riveting first set, but the 1992
champion refused to buckle, fending off break points at 1-2 and
2-3 and then saving three set points at 4-5.
UPPER HAND
Agassi looked to have gained the upper hand when he led 5-2
in the tiebreak, but he threw away the iniative with a couple of
costly errors.
At 3-5 Nadal slipped over when delivering his second serve
but Agassi netted his backhand. On the next point he put a
routine forehand into the tramlines with Nadal out of position.
Nadal then produced an astonishing running forehand pass as
Agassi came to the net and the muscular Spaniard fired down an
ace to clinch the opener.
"Once that first set had gone, my prospects got grimmer,"
said Agassi. "At 5-4 I should have made that forehand, then he
hit an incredible passing shot."
Agassi, who played his first grand slam match when Nadal was
only two months old and who is retiring after this year's U.S.
Open, wilted in the second set, dropping serve twice.
With his wife Steffi Graf watching from the royal box,
Agassi re-grouped in the third and kept his nose in front on
serve until the seventh game when Nadal's pressure earned him
another service break.
There was no way back for Agassi and three games later Nadal
ended the contest with an ace to reach the fourth round of the
grasscourt slam for the first time where he will play Irakli
Labadze of Georgia.