OPEN !

Moving ahead, it was yet another autobiography that I read. Andre Agassi’s ‘OPEN’. Agassi has always been my favorite tennis star. More because of his way of playing tennis and also because his fashion on the court. He has always been applauded more for his service return on the court. Any service to him, would be returned with double the speed and power it was actually served at him. This was something that none of his contemporaries had expected and also a major reason for his wins. Flashy orange shorts, glossy green tshirt, red bandana – is what I remember him wearing in many of his matches. Why should I wear white always? is what seems like he always tried to say.

Coming to the book, from the very start of the read you get a feel that he is being very frank and open about what he is telling and this goes on till the end. Interestingly, ‘The End’ is the first chapters name, where he talks about his match with Marcus Baghdatis.  The finish line of his career.

Reading through the first half of the book we get to know that his way of being a rebel was not something he wanted but something that came from him as a reaction to the things happening with him. His childhood with a tennis ball shooting machine he calls dragon in his residence backyard court, he being sent away to a tennis school and his struggle with books and actual studies make you know more that his rebelliousness was obvious. His unending practice sessions even though taking a toll on his young body is what might have made him stronger giving the power to endure and last longer than his opponents in matches later on in his life. Much has been written about his excruciating relationship with his father and he doesn’t seem to hide anything about that as well. The pain he goes through putting up with his fathers sort of comes to an end when he meets his long time physical trainer Gil. Andre almost surrenders to Gil and trains like he has been asked to without questions. Apart from all that  he also goes on to do many revelations about himself that most of his fans around the world wouldn’t have known in any way like about his hair rug that he wore for quite some time. Soon reaches the stage where he talks about his love Steffi Graff and how it all happened between them and finishes the book with talking about his philanthropic work through his school

The parts of the book that I liked the most was about his matches and his arch rivals Boris Becker and Pete Sampras. His memories of all those matches, or knife fights as he says, are almost like photographic memory. And the way its written makes you almost relive the match and cheer for him during the match.

I am glad I bought this book and read it. It was a absolute page turner and quite an inspiring book. Oh and ya, to all those thinking that I dint mention about his drug episode, I don’t give a damn about that, he is an achiever, an idol and a role model to me and many and that’s all that I see him as.

Game, Set, Match and Book – Andre Agassi !

Vinay

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~ by Vinay Simha on December 5, 2010.