No Pete. No Venus. No Serena. No Anna.
The final grand slam of the season and tennis's four most celebrated names weren't on the lineup. Without the big names, many tennis fans believed this year's U.S. Open, and even possibly the entire sport, was doomed. Juan Carlos Ferrero? Sjeng Schalken? David Nalbandian? Who are they? And what is a grand slam without a first-round exit by the ever so celebrated Anna Kournikova?
They expected a runaway by the now married, and hence no longer exciting, Andre Agassi, and a meaningless women's draw without the awe-inspiring Kournikova. And wait - I almost forgot about the two best players in the game - the Williams sisters. What they got was one of the most compelling U.S. Opens in the Modern era.
Starting off the two weeks of the Open was Michael Chang who officially declared his retirement after a first-round loss. Chang captivated the public in 1989 with an epic comeback against Ivan Lendl in the French Open, during which he resorted to an underarm serve to battle cramping. He continued on to win at Rolland Garros and became the youngest player ever to win a major championship. Although he never won another Slam, Chang's character has always been synonymous with what is right in tennis, and in sports.
Joining Chang in retirement was Sampras, who officially called it a career at age 32 in a tear-filled ceremony on center court. The record 14-time grand slam winner, including seven Wimbledons and five U.S. Opens, said goodbye to the courts that had given him his first and last Slam victories.
Many remember last year's U.S. Open final, the last match between a pair of storied rivals in Sampras and Agassi. Who could forget the remarkable run of five wins in seven days, all commencing in a four-set battle between two men who have defined tennis to millions of Americans?
Despite the retirement of Sampras and the surprising semifinal loss of Agassi, the home crowd at Flushing Meadows had another American to root for in Andy Roddick. This A-Rod, although not as well paid as his counterpart, can hit a tennis ball harder than anyone else in his sport. Roddick's 140-mph serve with pinpoint accuracy had Juan Carlos Ferrero quivering in his own footsteps.
Many argued Roddick's surprisingly easy 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 victory in the finals had more to do with the rain than with his playing ability. Flushing Meadows, which has no roof and has traditionally been uncovered, was plagued by rain all week, forcing many matches to be stretched out into breaks in the rain over the span of three days. Due to the schedule, Roddick came out with an extra day of rest, and although that may have helped, watching him play on Saturday and Sunday would have erased any doubt in one's mind as to whose year it was. A-Rod has arrived.
What about the women? It wouldn't be a tournament without Venus and Serena steamrolling over their opponents until they meet in the finals for a boring and uninspired match. And weren't we all looking forward to the first hour-and-a-half when Kournikova is still in the tournament?
Who needs Kournikova when you've got Justine Henin-Hardenne? The fiery Henin showed true spirit last weekend when she swept fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters 7-5, 6-1 a day after suffering dehydration in a three-hour epic battle against American Jennifer Capriati.
It was inspiring to watch Henin, who towers above at 5-foot-5, scurrying across the court against Capriati's power in a come-from-behind victory ending in a third-set tiebreaker. The night before her first U.S. Open final, she was in the training room until 3 a.m. recovering from the Capriati match with IV fluids, deciding if she would be strong enough to play in the final. She did, showing true determination, and demonstrated to the world that women's tennis does not need Venus, Serena or Anna.
But if it is Anna you want, Anna you got, as Kournikova appeared in a brief reporting gig, roaming the courts at Flushing Meadows as a correspondent for the USA Network. Quality television, wouldn't you say? Those of you who now look forward to the insightful commentary from the tennis star with zero career tournament victories, will be disappointed, however, as she announced her retirement from the business, claiming she had been eating too much as a reporter. Seriously.
It was a tournament of tearful goodbyes. It was a tournament of bold entrances. It was a tournament of perseverance, determination and grit. It was one of the best tournaments in recent memory. You can keep Pete, Michael, Serena, Venus and Anna. Tennis is doing just fine.
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