American legend hails the enduring talents of today's master but still feels the modern game could be less one-dimensional
Pete Sampras and Roger Federer played each other just once. It was 13 years ago in the fourth round at Wimbledon and the Swiss teenager, his long hair tied back in a ponytail underneath a bandana and his attitude ramped up to the point of combustion like some sort of put-upon skateboard punk, was yet to make the sophisticated impression on his peers that would define his career.
The young Federer was nonetheless regarded with the same degree of enthusiasm that attends the progress of the handsome Bulgarian shot-maker Grigor Dimitrov today. He was a prince waiting for a coronation and, on his debut at the tournament he would go on to dominate for a decade, he beat the still formidable American in five sets that enthralled Centre Court for three hours and 41 minutes, something of a marathon at the time.
Sampras had not lost at Wimbledon in 31 matches. In compiling seven titles, he had endured disappointment just once in 57 appearances at the All England Club. However, the following year he would lose again, shockingly in the second round, to Federer's compatriot, George Bastl, who was ranked 118 in the world. Despite undeniable decline, Sampras was able to secure an already gilded legacy later in 2002 in his final match by winning the US Open against Andre Agassi, the sort of exit afforded few people in sport.
In retrospect, Federer's arrival in 2001 was nearly as spectacular as Sampras's departure in 2002. The last shot of their only encounter was the young pretender's blistering return of the fabled Sampras serve, as distinct a signal of change as could be conjured.
Nobody then, of course, imagined Federer would go on to surpass Sampras's record of 14 grand slam titles and equal his tally of championships at Wimbledon. And few today doubt that the intervening period has been blessed as the finest in the history of the game.
The wheel has come near to full circle again, yet Federer – at 32, the same age at which Sampras retired – shows no sign of leaving, and is striving wholeheartedly for a sign-off as emphatic as that of Sampras. It would be a more remarkable achievement were he to add a farewell slam to his resumé, given their respective games and the intensity of Federer's era.
Sampras and Federer never met again on court but they have enjoyed joint residency in the hearts of tennis fans ever since that match, their genius the glue that binds them. Sampras has greyed and thinned a little since his pomp, but his belly has remained reassuringly disciplined. On Monday he will display what he has left in an exhibition match in London against Agassi, two old gunslingers still shooting from the hip and lip.
Federer, meanwhile, has enjoyed a more fruitful start to 2014 than he hinted at for most of 2013, carving his way pleasingly through a strong field in Dubai this past week and coming from a set down on Saturday to beat Tomas Berdych to the title.
What does Sampras make, then, of the man who beat then bettered him in 2001, I wondered? "He's done everything in the game," he said. "He could walk away tomorrow feeling great about it. I don't know how he maintains the level. As long as he's healthy and enjoying it, I can see Roger playing for another two, three, four more years."
Regardless of his standing in the game, this was a remarkable expression of faith. Federer still playing at 36? It seems hugely improbable. But there is an understanding between special players that they are capable of deeds beyond mortals. Still, after Stanislas Wawrinka's win over Novak Djokovic in Melbourne, did Sampras not think we were coming out of one era and into another, and that Federer would be trampled in the stampede?
"No, I don't think so. I think you're still going to see the same guys dominating the game: Novak, Rafa [Nadal] and Roger. It seems like Roger's playing better. And [Juan Martín] Del Potro's going to be up there. Stan has been moving, been close a few times and he broke through in Australia, but I don't see it as a sign of any real change in the game. I just think the top four, five guys are still going to dominate. I don't see any major shift."
Sampras was a powerful presence on court, with one of the best serves in the history of the game and a willingness to bully the match from close quarters, but even he is taken aback by the raw physicality of the modern game.
"Even sitting there watching these guys battle, it's awesome. The amount of effort Rafa puts into his game, the movement, the long points, the grind of the Tour … It's got a lot more physical the past 10 years. Everyone exchanges from the back court, the points are longer and it's taking a toll on their bodies. It seems like the top four guys are so much physically better, and mentally better. That's why they've been dominating so much, just because they are so much better in that one area."
Did he not hanker for some more, well, tennis in his tennis? "Sure. I love contrast. I love the great match-up of serve-and-volley and staying back. It's fun to watch. The [modern] game is exciting, but it's a little one-dimensional. If you were shooting for the best combination, you'd love a little serve-and-volley tennis, chip and charge, to mix things up. I don't see it happening any time soon.
"The game is what it is and the direction, I don't think, will change. Guys in some areas will be staying back. Wimbledon of all events, it's incredible how much guys stay back, and I don't buy the surface being slow. I think it is the style of play, and that everyone is just more comfortable staying back. It's kids, it's juniors and it's pros. In my day, I grew up watching McEnroe and Edberg and Becker, so I saw that serve-and-volley tennis. It was something I wanted to try and it's something I did."
Which brings us neatly back to the man who beat him at Wimbledon 13 years ago. As he strives to reinvent himself, Federer has been noticeably keener to go to the net, spreading anxiety among his opponents as he glides forward for the kill. Sampras likes what he sees in the new-old Federer.
"The new racket [which he took up towards the end of last year, his worst on the Tour] will help. I think he's got confidence in it. I've seen Roger play over his whole career and obviously he won a ton of majors playing a certain way. He's got to a point where he's had to get a little more aggressive, take some more chances. Getting into these long rallies against Rafa and Novak, it is tough." Reported by guardian.co.uk 19 hours ago.
Pete Sampras and Roger Federer played each other just once. It was 13 years ago in the fourth round at Wimbledon and the Swiss teenager, his long hair tied back in a ponytail underneath a bandana and his attitude ramped up to the point of combustion like some sort of put-upon skateboard punk, was yet to make the sophisticated impression on his peers that would define his career.
The young Federer was nonetheless regarded with the same degree of enthusiasm that attends the progress of the handsome Bulgarian shot-maker Grigor Dimitrov today. He was a prince waiting for a coronation and, on his debut at the tournament he would go on to dominate for a decade, he beat the still formidable American in five sets that enthralled Centre Court for three hours and 41 minutes, something of a marathon at the time.
Sampras had not lost at Wimbledon in 31 matches. In compiling seven titles, he had endured disappointment just once in 57 appearances at the All England Club. However, the following year he would lose again, shockingly in the second round, to Federer's compatriot, George Bastl, who was ranked 118 in the world. Despite undeniable decline, Sampras was able to secure an already gilded legacy later in 2002 in his final match by winning the US Open against Andre Agassi, the sort of exit afforded few people in sport.
In retrospect, Federer's arrival in 2001 was nearly as spectacular as Sampras's departure in 2002. The last shot of their only encounter was the young pretender's blistering return of the fabled Sampras serve, as distinct a signal of change as could be conjured.
Nobody then, of course, imagined Federer would go on to surpass Sampras's record of 14 grand slam titles and equal his tally of championships at Wimbledon. And few today doubt that the intervening period has been blessed as the finest in the history of the game.
The wheel has come near to full circle again, yet Federer – at 32, the same age at which Sampras retired – shows no sign of leaving, and is striving wholeheartedly for a sign-off as emphatic as that of Sampras. It would be a more remarkable achievement were he to add a farewell slam to his resumé, given their respective games and the intensity of Federer's era.
Sampras and Federer never met again on court but they have enjoyed joint residency in the hearts of tennis fans ever since that match, their genius the glue that binds them. Sampras has greyed and thinned a little since his pomp, but his belly has remained reassuringly disciplined. On Monday he will display what he has left in an exhibition match in London against Agassi, two old gunslingers still shooting from the hip and lip.
Federer, meanwhile, has enjoyed a more fruitful start to 2014 than he hinted at for most of 2013, carving his way pleasingly through a strong field in Dubai this past week and coming from a set down on Saturday to beat Tomas Berdych to the title.
What does Sampras make, then, of the man who beat then bettered him in 2001, I wondered? "He's done everything in the game," he said. "He could walk away tomorrow feeling great about it. I don't know how he maintains the level. As long as he's healthy and enjoying it, I can see Roger playing for another two, three, four more years."
Regardless of his standing in the game, this was a remarkable expression of faith. Federer still playing at 36? It seems hugely improbable. But there is an understanding between special players that they are capable of deeds beyond mortals. Still, after Stanislas Wawrinka's win over Novak Djokovic in Melbourne, did Sampras not think we were coming out of one era and into another, and that Federer would be trampled in the stampede?
"No, I don't think so. I think you're still going to see the same guys dominating the game: Novak, Rafa [Nadal] and Roger. It seems like Roger's playing better. And [Juan Martín] Del Potro's going to be up there. Stan has been moving, been close a few times and he broke through in Australia, but I don't see it as a sign of any real change in the game. I just think the top four, five guys are still going to dominate. I don't see any major shift."
Sampras was a powerful presence on court, with one of the best serves in the history of the game and a willingness to bully the match from close quarters, but even he is taken aback by the raw physicality of the modern game.
"Even sitting there watching these guys battle, it's awesome. The amount of effort Rafa puts into his game, the movement, the long points, the grind of the Tour … It's got a lot more physical the past 10 years. Everyone exchanges from the back court, the points are longer and it's taking a toll on their bodies. It seems like the top four guys are so much physically better, and mentally better. That's why they've been dominating so much, just because they are so much better in that one area."
Did he not hanker for some more, well, tennis in his tennis? "Sure. I love contrast. I love the great match-up of serve-and-volley and staying back. It's fun to watch. The [modern] game is exciting, but it's a little one-dimensional. If you were shooting for the best combination, you'd love a little serve-and-volley tennis, chip and charge, to mix things up. I don't see it happening any time soon.
"The game is what it is and the direction, I don't think, will change. Guys in some areas will be staying back. Wimbledon of all events, it's incredible how much guys stay back, and I don't buy the surface being slow. I think it is the style of play, and that everyone is just more comfortable staying back. It's kids, it's juniors and it's pros. In my day, I grew up watching McEnroe and Edberg and Becker, so I saw that serve-and-volley tennis. It was something I wanted to try and it's something I did."
Which brings us neatly back to the man who beat him at Wimbledon 13 years ago. As he strives to reinvent himself, Federer has been noticeably keener to go to the net, spreading anxiety among his opponents as he glides forward for the kill. Sampras likes what he sees in the new-old Federer.
"The new racket [which he took up towards the end of last year, his worst on the Tour] will help. I think he's got confidence in it. I've seen Roger play over his whole career and obviously he won a ton of majors playing a certain way. He's got to a point where he's had to get a little more aggressive, take some more chances. Getting into these long rallies against Rafa and Novak, it is tough." Reported by guardian.co.uk 19 hours ago.