James Blake and Andre Agassi played one of the better tennis matches that I have seen in recent years last night (and part of this morning.) The majority of the points were very well played, displaying the tremendous skill of both players. The match was intense and legitimately surprising as the momentum changed sides several times.
If there is a lesson that can be applied in other sports, it is to never give up. Down two sets and a break in the third, Agassi brought his game to another level and won the next two sets. Needing to break to stay in the match, Agassi elevated his play again, hitting a number of brilliant returns. Anything can happen: the match was on Blake’s racquet twice (at 6-5 in the fifth set and at 5-4 in the tie-breaker) but he couldn’t close Agassi out.
Another interesting aspect of the game was body language. In the fifth set, Agassi seemed more energetic, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Blake’s shoulders were slumped and he seemed to be engaging in some negative self-talk. Although the match was decided in a tie-breaker, I was very confident that Agassi would win because of his confident attitude.