Fernando Gonzalez Bids Farewell
 
March 21, 2012 -- Fernando Gonzalez is nicknamed 'Gonzo.' It fits. His forehand is a potential hazard, like a blast from a cannon. His 'go to' shot was once clocked at 120 mph. Fans gasped.
 
But sit down with the Chilean and an entirely different experience comes over you. His voice is soft, low-key. His temperament is gentle. His eyes avert yours, as he talks about his charity work or his tennis, each of which he is equally versed. It all flies in the face of the rigorous athlete we watched on court, most often, striking and exhaling like a force of nature that would surprise even the stoic.
 
Gonzalez, unfortunately for the game, decided in February to retire. After hip replacement in the fall of 2010, and a knee injury not too long afterward, he is ready. He chose Miami, and the 2012 Sony Ericsson Open, to bid farewell because, he said, "I feel at home here."
 
As a tribute, Gonzales will open the first evening of matches for the tournament against Nicolas Mahut. Expect huge crowd support as a large percentage of fans that visit this prestigious event in South Florida are Latin-American.
 
Gonzo turned pro in 1999 and by 2006 cracked the top 10. Over his 13 years on tour he accrued 11 career ATP World Tour Titles.
 
His biggest career win arguably came the day he and Nicolas Massu won the gold medal in doubles at the Athens Olympics in 2004, the very first gold medal for Chile. Sports Illustrated crowned Gonzalez, Marathon Man, years before this evening's opponent Mahut shared the same title for his first-round match against American John Isner at Wimbledon in 2010.
 
Immediately before their five-set victory over German opponents, where Gonzalez saved four match points in the fourth set to extend the match to five, he had won a bronze medal in singles. He defeated American Taylor Dent 16-14 in the fifth set and began the doubles match afterward.
 
"He played 90 games over eight sets covering two matches lasting a total of 7 hours, 8 minutes," wrote SI.com on August 21, 2004. "He punched in at 5 p.m. Saturday, and 10 hours later was clutching Chile's first gold medal in Olympic history."
 
To put the cherry on top of their Olympic cake, Nicolas Massu went on to win gold in singles, defeating Mardy Fish in another five-set marathon after having been down two sets to none.
 
In contrast, Gonzalez's 5-set loss to Robin Soderling in the semifinals of the 2009 French Open was his biggest heartbreaker.
 
Down two sets to love, Gonzo sprung to life. His assault on the tall Swede turned Centre Court into a frenzy. At the start of the third even Gonzalez's coach, Martin Rodriguez, had doubt. "He looked turned off, no reaction. Nada. I had little hope."
 
But his charge leveled the match. In the fifth, Gonzalez went up a break. It was 4-1. He was two games away from the final, and fulfillment of a childhood dream.
 
Then Soderling came back to life, swung like there was no tomorrow... his attack mode in fifth gear. His flat forehands ripped past Gonzalez. The high-risk style clicked. Soderling moved on to the final where he lost to Roger Federer.
 
Off court, Gonzalez's humanitarian character was most pronounced when a powerful earthquake hit northern Chile in 2007. He created, "the Tennis Cup for the Children of the Home of Christ, plus an exhibition with fellow professionals that raised money for the charity," the ATP website reported. Gonzalez continued to contribute money to the charity after each match he won on tour.
 
Larry Stefanki, his coach of more than two years, said, "Fernando is a very generous person with his time and charity work in Chile. He is extremely grounded as a person and loves spending time with underprivileged kids."
 
As a junior, Gonzalez practiced with one goal in mind, to become a better player each day. It was a simple goal and a powerful discipline. He won the respect of his fellows in the locker rooms as well as on court. He was called genuine and appealed across all borders.
 
Larry Stefanki also coached John McEnroe and currently coaches Andy Roddick. In the late 1990s, Stefanki coached Chile's Marcelo Rios, who was compared with Gonzalez over the length of his career. Although Rios reached number one and was blessed with a talent unforeseen, Stefanki told ESPN.com recently, "As a friend, person, athlete, and what he accomplished, I'm as proud of Fernando as I am of anybody."
 
Fernando Gonzalez will be missed.