I don’t want to be the one to tell Andre Agassi.

I don’t want to be the one to tell him he shouldn’t be this good. I don’t want to be the one to tell him he was all but done against James Blake in his quarterfinal match.

I don’t want to be the one to tell him he should be playing like he’s 35 – which he is – instead of 25. I don’t want to be the one to tell him that he wasn’t supposed to take Roger Federer to a tiebreak in the third set of the U.S. Open final.

On Sunday, Agassi squared off against Federer in a changing-of-the-guard type battle, which Federer eventually took in four sets. But on a day where Federer earned the victory, Agassi earned plenty of attention.

Agassi was competing in his 20th consecutive U.S. Open, a feat in itself. But Agassi, in his old age, wasn’t just content with showing up.

While his golf buddies watched on the sidelines, Agassi tore up the competition. I’ll be lucky if I can break into a jog and not be sore the next day when I’m 35. Agassi proved he still has something left.

Agassi handled the preliminary rounds with some ease, losing only one set in his first three matches, before pulling out a 5-set victory over Xavier Malisse in the fourth round.

Agassi got the tennis world talking with his quarterfinal matchup against young American stud James Blake. Blake took the first two sets and was up a break in the third, before Agassi struck back by winning the next two.

Blake had a chance to serve for the match in the fifth set, instead Agassi broke him and the two went into a tiebreaker to decide the match.

Even the tiebreak was close, pushing the match to 1 a.m. eastern time, before Agassi finally put Blake away, 8-6.

Agassi could have ended there and fans would have been content. Hell, Agassi could have died on the spot and I’d be impressed with his effort. But he had more work to do.

That work was finishing off fellow American, Robby Ginepri, in another 5-setter. Ginepri, who turns 23 in October, got beat by a man 13 years his senior.

That’s like getting beat by your dad-if your dad is really, really good at tennis.

Unfortunately for Agassi, Ginepri was his last victim. In the final, Agassi ran into Federer, who’s so deadly he can’t make it through the metal detectors in most major airports.

Even against Federer, though, Agassi wasn’t going down without a fight. After losing the first set, Agassi took the second set and forced the third into a tiebreak.

Here, Federer grabbed control and never relented, dominating the tiebreak and giving Agassi only one game in the fourth set.

Agassi was an 8-1 underdog going into the match, a line not exactly boosting the 35 year-old’s confidence. If it helps, I was getting 4-1 odds on his right arm falling off in the third set. Thanks for nothing, Andre.

For years Agassi was an American tennis icon. Lately, though, he’s been eclipsed by the new young guns on the American tennis scene. Blake, Ginepri, Andy Roddick and Taylor Dent have emerged, leaving Agassi fans wondering how much time he has left. On Sunday, Agassi did his best to answer.

Andre Agassi’s performance at the 2005 U.S. Open is one for many ages. I don’t want to be the one to tell him it might be his last.

This time, I’ll wait for him to tell me.