Twenty years is just a blink in time. But 20 years is also long enough for a man to grow up. It is always painful. For Andrew Agassi, maturing in the spotlight of international tennis competition was even harder.
On September 3, the American tennis player said a tearful goodbye to his 21-year career after a third-round defeat in the US Open. The 36-year-old tried his best, but was unable to keep up with German Benjamin Becker, more than ten years his junior.
'The scoreboard said I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn't say is what I've found,' Agassi said to the fans. 'I have found inspiration and you willed me to succeed.' It was an emotional speech at the end of a long career.
Agassi hated tennis as a ager as much as he loves it now. His father made him play when he was a child. He got bored, and became a rebel(叛逆). The strict training that his father pushed upon him got in the way of his wild lifestyle. He grew hair long, wore colorful clothes and spat at a judge. Over the years, he has made bad jokes during news conferences. Asked what he would say to his 17-year-old self, Agassi answered, 'I would say, I understand you a lot more than I want to be you.'
The turning point in Agassi's career came in 1992 when he unexpectedly won his first Grand Slam (大满贯赛事)at Wimbledon. It was the first time Agassi understood what real champions finally understand: winning is a test of courage and not just power, it's a marathon, not a sprint(短跑).
And what a marathon Agassi was about to begin. He cut his long hair, got fitter and tightened up emotionally. On the court, he ranked No. 1 for almost two years. His lowest point came in 1997 when his ranking dropped to No. 141. He didn't quit though. 'I knew that I would try to get the most out of myself every day from that day forward. That was my promise,' he said. 'That never stopped.'
小题1:The underlined phrase 'more than ten years his junior' in the second paragraph means _________. A．having lower ranking than Agassi for more than ten years B．having higher ranking than Agassi for more than ten years C．more than ten years older than Agassi D．more than ten years younger than Agassi小题2:How did Agassi feel when he was defeated in the competition? A．He felt angry with the judge B．He felt satisfied with the scoreboard C．He felt regretful but encouraged D．He felt in great desperation小题3:The passage implies ______. A．after 1997 Agassi began to take up marathon besides tennis B．Agassi began to play tennis before he was fif C．Agassi hesitated to quit his sports career D．the reason why Agassi lost his last competition was that he lacked courage and power小题4:The score of the match between Agassi and Becker is ______.A．0-2B．0-3 C．1-3 D．2-3