The end of Tommy Haas' 17th US Open may well have been the end of an era.
The 37-year-old German fell to Fernando Verdasco, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-1, on Court 5 in what may have been Haas' final US Open match.
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While Haas stopped short of calling his Flushing Meadows farewell, given the mileage on his legs and mounting injuries that have slowed him in recent years, the realist within tells him there are no guarantees he will be back.
The three-time US Open quarterfinalist said it's been a "privilege" to play in New York.
"It's very special to be here, obviously. Looking up as a kid, it's one of the big four you want to do really well in," Haas said. "It's been a privilege playing here 17 times. If I didn't have injuries could have been couple more. Happy to have been here again. Who knows? Might have been my last match. Obviously would be great to be back here next year, but it's a long way to go. With the history of my body, who knows if I make it back?"
Haas has contested several memorable matches in New York.
In the 2001 round of 16 he pushed Lleyton Hewitt to four sets. Hewitt went on to win the match and the title. In 2002, Haas was ranked No. 3 and the favorite in the minds of some when he met Pete Sampras in the fourth round. Sampras prevailed in four sets.
And he was gone :)
A photo posted by tommy haas (@tommyhaasofficial) on
Over the years, Haas has been a friend and sometimes practice partner of several standouts ranging from Sampras to Andre Agassi to Roger Federer. Haas said today he regards all three as supreme players. He calls Sampras the best server he faced, Federer the greatest player he ever played and Agassi one of the best pure ball strikers he's seen—even today
"I would have to say best server I ever faced was probably Pete Sampras," Haas said. "Best player, Roger is up there, for sure. I think he's the greatest of all time. You know, the results speak for that, as well. A lot of great competitors out there, though. I think playing against Rafa is one of the most physically challenges out there. Djokovic, Murray, what they have done physically and also, you know, defensively with the shots, it's a whole new level.
"You know, it's been a privilege obviously. I think Agassi is still one of the best strikers I have ever played against. When you see him hit the ball today, just hitting the ball in general, I think he's still one of the best strikers. So it's been great playing against so many generations."
Photo credit: Ellesse