Agassi, 36, still in form!

Buoyed by a cortisone injection, along with a raucous, sellout crowd that boosted his spirits when things looked bleak, Agassi kept his final tournament going by beating eighth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 7-5 at the U.S. Open. Andre Agassi won a dramatic fifth set after blowing a two-break lead in the fourth set.

Andre Agassi and 23,700 or so of his closest friends went through all sorts of highs and lows, as he built a big lead then faced a sudden deficit, as he looked set to extend his career then teetered on the verge of ending it.

Through all that, through nearly four hours of thrilling tennis, Agassi -- 36 years old and burdened by a bad back -- held up better than the kid across the net.

When it was over, they shook hands at the net, then embraced. Baghdatis wished Agassi good luck. Agassi asked Baghdatis (who struggled with cramps during the last few games of the fifth set ) if he was OK. And Agassi was quick to thank the fans who sure are enjoying quite a ride right along with him at Flushing Meadows. It's a parade that will go down in annals right alongside Jimmy Connors' run to the 1991 Open semifinals at 39.


Baghdatis finished with 86 unforced errors, 39 more than Agassi, an eight-time major champion and one of only five men with a career Grand Slam. Because Agassi went only 8-7 this year before the Open, he's unseeded, which is why he had to face someone ranked as highly as Baghdatis so early.

Not only did they put on quite a show, but Agassi also provided the day's signature moment even before swatting a ball: After a morning practice session, he autographed a teen's forehead with a marker, making sure the final "i" was dotted.