NEW YORK – The last match of his 21-year career played and lost, Andre Agassi coaxed himself into his courtside chair and buried his face in a towel.

Then he looked up through tear-filled eyes at the more than 20,000 people standing and cheering for him in Arthur Ashe Stadium, a tribute that lasted four minutes. Agassi rose and moved to the center of the court for a second round of bows and kisses to the four sides of the arena, gingerly bending his bad back.

“I was sitting there realizing that I was saying goodbye to everybody out there, and they were saying goodbye to me,” the 36-year-old Agassi said. “It’s saying goodbye. It’s a necessary evil. But we were getting through it together. That felt amazing.”

The various versions of Agassi – the rebel with the long hair and Day-Glo outfits, the elder statesman, the 141st-ranked guy playing in tennis’ minor leagues, the owner of a career Grand Slam, the husband of Steffi Graf and father of two – were in the minds of one and all Sunday at the U.S. Open, when his playing days came to an end.

“We all dream,” top-ranked Roger Federer said, “about a career like he had.”

Hampered by a bad back, run ragged by a player 11 years his junior, Agassi lost to the 112th-ranked German qualifier Benjamin Becker 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-5 in the third round of an event that was the first major he ever played, and now the last.

“He’s definitely,” Becker said, “one of a kind.”

That’s why, for Agassi and the fans, it truly did not matter all that much what Sunday’s outcome was. This day and this tournament were all about saying goodbye to an eight-time major champion who grew up in front of the world.

“The scoreboard said I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn’t say is what it is I’ve found,” Agassi told the crowd, his voice cracking with emotion. “Over the last 21 years, I’ve found loyalty. You have pulled for me on the court and also in life. I have found inspiration. You have willed me to succeed sometimes even in my lowest moments.”

Agassi got a cortisone injection after beating Andre Pavel in 3 1/2 hours, then received three anti-inflammatory shots in the days after beating eighth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis in an even longer encounter. The last injection came Sunday, before facing Becker, who won the 2004 NCAA singles title for Baylor University but needed to go through qualifying to make it into the Open.

Now he gets another taste of partisan support: Becker’s fourth-round opponent is 2003 U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick, who shook hands with Agassi in the locker room before heading out to beat No. 22 Fernando Verdasco 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2.

Roddick sounded relieved not to have to face Agassi.

“Selfishly, I’ll miss him. I’ll miss him as a friend, as kind of a mentor,” Roddick said. “He was unbelievable to me, with how accessible he was when I was younger. He would call me before matches and give me strategy advice before I was playing people when I was 17, 18 years old. I don’t know many people who will take time out of their day for some little punk, trying to give them strategy.”

Roddick and Becker were slated to square off Monday, as the post-Agassi portion of the Open begins in earnest. Monday’s biggest showdown was scheduled for the night session: former No. 1 and two-time Open champion Serena Williams vs. current No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo, who’s won two Grand Slam titles this year. Others in action: Lindsay Davenport, Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Marat Safin, Lleyton Hewitt and Robby Ginepri.

Agassi couldn’t conjure up any more magic in his 21st consecutive Open, an event he won in 1994 and 1999. His back – and Becker – wouldn’t let him.

“It’s not often I cry before a tennis match, and I was definitely crying today,” said the top-seeded American, No. 5 James Blake, who beat Carlos Moya Sunday night.