Tennis.......Agassi . Yes Andre' is finally retiring . But for an old Pro, it will mean a wind down to the Seniors . He finalised it at Wimbledon , but those old tennis feet won't stop will they , and he has continued to play on . It's the Dadis that keep those precious legs going . He is such a Crowd Favorite we won't let him leave . Looking back , his career , that started in 1986 , has gone 20 years until now . All those years were shared with his compatriot and friend , Pete Sampras , and what a wonderful time we had , watching these two vie for the tennis world titles , right through the 1990's . These two quiet Americans exemplified the sport to tennis fans . Agassi won many times , and also had serious losses that lasted for long periods . The crowd lifted him in adulation , when his play was scintillating , and booed him when his professional style failed ; he had to live in periods of competitive gloom . But all was not darkness ; he married a princess . His love interest was a talented actress who had a common love ; tennis . Being a Las Vegas native , after hearing of her interest , he invited her down to the Lagoon ; from there it improved , and we know the tale . Let it be said ; Las Vegas Dreams don't seem to last , and perhaps we have to accept this ; for the dream didn't last , and again our tennis pro Andre' fought on . Into the new era , from 2000 , we saw Pete Sampras retire in 2003 . We also saw Agassi find another love interest , who had a background in the same professional area . This was the great women's player , Steffi Graf . Andre Agassi's era in tennis is winding down , and now he will be able to relax with his wife and kids , in Las Vegas . He would surely say , " thanks , but I don't need the dice , I've had the luck " .

Tennis........Oooh Ms Hingis ! This is a picture of Martina taken at the San Diego Tournament in the first week of this month . Martina is one of the great modern tennis players . She dominated women's singles tennis from 1997 to 2001 , as well as showing excellence in mixed and women's doubles . She was trained by the great Coach Melanie Molitor , and Martina Navratilova and her court prowess was very technical . She retired in 2001 as a result of injuries . This year we saw Martina's return to professional tennis and again she is showing great ability in tournaments . Her greatest battle is against the power game , which is increasingly used by women tennis pros ; and it seems Martina is too ! IM A POWER WOMAN IN A POWER WORLD ! OUI !?

Tennis....or not ? Well I suppose I have been a bad boy for not keeping up with my diary here : I have been meaning to , but it has all been much too busy . That's what I have been telling myself ! Mmmm ! Probably the real reason is organizing of the material , all notes etc. Ah such is the pertubation of this blogger ! I was going to write about Tennis , or even the Winter Olympics in Italy , and alas I thought too much of it , or contemplated too long . I think I will follow those stories , ah yes - later ! What can I say now ; I do have a story , but it is a journey of sorts . Would you like me to continue ? Of course ! this has roots of it's story in Tennis . It goes back to the 1970's ; I'm doing this from memory . And it starts with a tennis player . Around this time we (tennis players and fans) were in awe of the La Femme Player , Martina Navratilova . At this time another little player was emerging who was a American hopeful ; this player was both a promising player and an actress ; I'm speaking of sportswoman , Cathy Lee Crosby - who I watched for many years as an actress . She occassionly still acts , but seems mainly to be retired now . She was a very good Tennis Player . A TV Program ( which she appeared on a number times) called the 'Love Boat' (One of my Very Favorites) was where a lot of very famous celebrities (not only actors but others as well) said goodbye to their public life (-it's worth getting the series just for this alone) The amount of celebrities who did this was a lot , and I won't go into how many - I guess a hundred or so . This is where the story changes direction , and catches up to the present . This is a story about someone , I will use the pseudonym 'Phoenix' for . Phoenix is a very beautiful woman , an Icon in her Era , and a Grand Dame . This person was not only a great person , but was also most happy privately . But like all celebrated women , her moment of disaster was waiting . Her husband - brilliant and successful and more , left ; walked out on her . I'm changing subject here a little . Let me expand this with a poetic piece I'm sure she would have appreciated , if she had heard it from him - " I don't think we can hope for this together anymore . For what it is worth , a thought so , or too ; I have met a mysterious man , and he has taken me with him to the stars , and I have seen the boy in him , and him of me " . As I speak she is still here , but her greatness has faded , and we still remember the beloved Phoenix ; Perhaps Bill Duck , someone from the past and from hers , and is still here , will help ; he himself suffered too ; a handsome man , who was always devoted to his mother . What does one do when one's guiding light goes out ? ; he waits and yearns for comfort in his home again . But I'm sure the 'Phoenix' will rise from her ashes , and maybe the Duck will too !..........