Open was my first book about a sportsperson. Though not an
ardent fan of Tennis, I was curious to know more about Andre Agassi, who was
famous and infamous, at the same time. The book encapsulates everything that
Agassi went through right from his childhood. Taping a paddle to his hand while
he was in the crib and hanging tennis balls above him was Andre Agassi’s
father’s method of beginning the process of rearing a Tennis prodigy. With his
father’s dreams shadowing him in every step of his life, Agassi grew to hate
the sport that he was forced to live. He was made to practice with “The
Dragon”, the machine that haunted him every day and spit thousands of balls his
way. It was his father’s ally- they tormented him, teased him, and challenged
him.
As Agassi grew older, his anger transformed into rebellion.
Rebellion with the world, with tennis and with himself. Joining the Nick Bollettieri’s Academy, he
could only turn it up a notch as he tried to cope up with some of the world’s
most talented tennis players. His rebellion oozed out of his clothes, hair,
attitude and of course, tennis. And as I read about the various incidents that
have been so colorfully written, I could not help but admire the beauty of his
arrogance.
Along this bumpy
ride, Agassi found a friend for life in Gil Reyes, who did more than train
Agassi for his matches; he stood by Agassi strong like a tree, through all
phases of his professional and personal life. Following Reyes’ entry in his
life, Agassi saw himself treading up in the record books of tennis. And to add
to it, his notoriety saw an upgrade too. If you have caught his matches from
that era, then reading about it from his point of view would certainly make it
all the more interesting. I’m sure you will find many questions about his
eccentric behavior answered.
As he narrates about the ups and downs following in his
career, you can find yourself immersed in every match that he describes. You
would anxiously read on as he draws a vivid picture of every shot that he
plays, feeling the frustration, the anger and the effort that he felt with
every hit.
His romantic accounts certainly add a dramatic flair to the
book. The way he has candidly expressed his emotions makes you personalize his
hurt, his anger and his love.
You will be hooked on to this book, irrespective of whether
you are an Agassi fan or not. And no matter how much you hate his guts, you
will close this book, having tasted his bitterness and joy, his frustrations
and euphoria and will certainly respect the man for what he is.
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