Ode to Andre

It is the end of an era. After a 21 year career, and playing in 20 consecutive U.S. Opens, Andre has said good-bye. He was ousted in the 3rd round of the Open by Benjamin Becker, no relation to Boris Becker.

I've thought about quoting you statistics (and there are many: winner of 8 Grand Slams and has won each of the four slams at least once), but that felt too cold. Statistics do not a man make.

Over and over on the TV coverage last week, I kept seeing fans hold up signs in Ashe Stadium saying, "Andre's House." The men's singles draw in the U.S. Open consists of 128 players, but the center court belongs to only one man. He lived at the top, an exemplar of passion and drive, one of the best at a game that is a battle of wills, skills, and wits, and when a record crowd of over 23,000 people came out to Ashe Stadium to say good-bye and thank you, all I could think was, "I'll miss him too."

AND P.S. I have been watching the Open pretty much non-stop since Monday, Aug 28 (Day 1), and I swear if John MacEnroe describes Roger Federer as the best men's player to ever live again, he and I are going to have words. Pete is the best.