CAMELOT FANTASIES

Every time I see this match it still amazes me.  What a tight match.  Most people thought that the reigning King of Grass would pull it out after he pulled even in the 4th set.  After all, he was the 4 time defending champion, 7 times total,  playing baby Federer playing his first match on Wimbledon's famous Center Court.  Sampras may have been past his prime a bit, his ranking slipping to 6th, but he was obviously still a force on grass having won it the year before against the marvelous Pat Rafter.  The way young Federer hung in there the entire match, returning superlatively, especially off the backhand wing, as the match went on, and then broke the great Sampras serve to win it at the very end with 4 quality returns of serve, 3 on the Sampras first serve, 2 returns for outright winners, surely foretold Roger's equally great future at SW19. 

One had to expect a letdown after teen Federer won this match, and he probably did, though Tim Henman was excellent on grass as well, but how could he not have after beating one of the greatest grass court players tennis had seen?  After all, Federer had only just won his first title earlier in the year at Milan.  It would still be two years before Federer won his first major, at Wimbledon, but one obviously could see the writing on the wall. 

But King Pete wasn't done yet either.  He made the final at the US Open that same year, and a year later,  Sampras would win his 5th US Open and finally go out a 14 time Slam champion.  From one point of view, it's sort of a shame they were not part of the same generation, to see how they would have battled each other in London, New York, and elsewhere, but from another viewpoint, each surely deserved their own place in the sun. 

Here is Pete's 2002 win over Andre Agassi at the All American final at the US Open in New York.


Respectfully,
masterclass