U.S. OPEN MEN'S ROUNDUP

updated 11:32 a.m. ET Sept. 1, 2006

NEW YORK - 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.

And so he plays on.

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.

“You’re not guaranteed these moments,” Agassi said, “and to feel it out there is something I can keep with me forever.”

They traded stinging strokes as Thursday night became Friday, and it was the 21-year-old Baghdatis who broke down physically, his body contorted by cramps in both thighs during an eight-deuce, four-break-point game that Agassi eventually held to lead 5-4 in the fifth. At one point, Baghdatis dropped to the ground. Later, he used the chair umpire’s stand to stretch his aching legs.

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And there was Agassi, still hustling to reach seemingly unreachable shots, responding with winners, and skipping out to the baseline to start games at his record 21st consecutive Open — one for each year of Baghdatis’ life.

“Would I have been disappointed if I had lost? Sure,” Agassi said. “But at the same time, how can you be disappointed when it’s all sort of surreal?”

When it was over, they shook hands at the net, then embraced. Baghdatis wished Agassi good luck. Agassi asked Baghdatis 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.

Now comes this third-round matchup: Agassi vs. Becker. A classic right? Well, not quite. It’s Benjamin Becker (no relation to Boris), a 25-year-old qualifier from Germany who’s ranked 112th and has won zero tour titles. Becker knocked off No. 30 Sebastien Grosjean in straight sets.

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Get past that, and Agassi could face Andy Roddick in the round of 16.

In other men's action, second-seeded Rafael Nadal had a tough test in beating 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. No. 6 Tommy Robredo beat Lee Hyung-taik 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1, No. 11 David Ferrer topped Justin Gimelstob 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 and No. 15 Lleyton Hewitt defeated Jan Hernych 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.

Baghdatis’ very first serve of the second-round encounter against Agassi was a fault, eliciting hoots from the stands. Moments later, someone in the upper deck yelled: “Andre, this is your house! And it’s all of us against him!”

Seth Wenig / AP Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus gets up from the court after suffering a leg cramp during the match.

As if there were any doubt. Agassi is, after all, an American at the American Grand Slam, one of the most popular players in recent tennis history — and everyone knows each match here could be his last as a pro. That final part is also why Agassi went to the hospital this week for the latest in a series of shots to dull pain from a troublesome sciatic nerve; he could barely stand after his first-round victory over Andrei Pavel.

Does he ever wonder whether those injections are worth it?

“It is worth it, and I’m not wondering,” Agassi said. “This is it for me. Where am I going from here?”

Against Baghdatis, Agassi missed consecutive backhands to get broken in the fifth set’s opening game. Agassi wiped sweat from his brow, shook his head and trudged slowly toward the sideline. Was the end near?

“Yeah, we were all getting worried,” his brother Phil said. “You know how they say your life flashes before your eyes before you die? There was his career, flashing before your eyes.”

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But with the lead — and momentum — finally on Baghdatis’ side, it was the youngster who asked for a medical timeout to get his strained left thigh massaged.

Agassi took a seat and sighed, while the crowd chanted, “Let’s go, Andre!” And there was nothing wrong with Agassi’s back when he stretched for a low volley at a sharp angle to break right back in the next game. Agassi shook his fist and clenched his teeth, still spry after all these years.

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