It was what the fans wanted—it was what they’d come to see—and even Blake knew that in the interview room, when he said that he was “happy to congratulate Andre, because he’s earned it.”
“Most people are never going to experience things like that,” he added, “and I wish they could.”
He wasn’t particularly thrilled at the loss, but Blake wasn’t distraught, either, as he embraced Agassi after the final point. Blake knew what he’d just had a hand in, and there was just no disagreeing with the bald, 35-year-old semifinalist when he said, “There are few moments on a tennis court that are that special.
“It’s 1:15 in the morning, and 20,000 people are still here. There’s nothing like it.”
—Staff writer Rebecca A. Seesel can be reached at seesel@fas.harvard.edu.