PETE STILL HOLDS EDGE

Agassi and Sampras: a great rivalry

By Sandra Harwitt
tennisreporters.net

Susan Mullane Camerawork USA, Inc.

Great sports rivalries cannot be manufactured – they are born of the right ingredients and the time necessary to nurture a rivalry that makes fans sit-up and take notice.

Last weekend at the Mercedes-Benz Cup in Los Angeles, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi continued their great career rivalry by meeting in the final. It was the 31st time that the two American stars had met and the 15th time they’ve encountered each other in a championship match. Of those 15 final appearances, four were in Grand Slams with Sampras holding a 3-1 win-loss record, including when he won his first of 13 Grand Slam titles at the 1990 U.S. Open.

The match in LA was a lopsided affair that ended in favor of Agassi, who captured a quick 6-4, 6-2 decision in blistering hot conditions. The victory pulled Agassi closer to even with Sampras in their career head-to-head, although Sampras still holds the 17-14 advantage.

The fact that the LA final wasn’t the finest tennis by either former world No. 1 really is beside the point – it does not diminish the fact that these two share a special history together. Certainly, anyone who had the chance to witness the nail-biting semifinal performance at the 2000 Australian Open – Agassi eventually prevailed 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-1 – understands the meaning of great rivalries.
What makes Sampras and Agassi thrilling theater, even when they don’t bring their “A” game to the court, is all the factors that go into the mix. First, there is their history together. They’ve been playing matches against each other for more than a decade now and fans simply look forward to any meeting between the two.

Second, the two are certified Hall of Fame material with completely contrasting brands of tennis – an element that offers intrigue. The match-up brings the exquisite fluidity of Sampras’s style and his spectacular serve against Agassi’s aggressive baseline brilliance and best service return in the business. Add to this category the fact that the two possess very different personalities – Sampras is reserved while Agassi is pure showman – and you have tennis at its finest.
While the Sampras-Agassi rivalry had provided fans with years of great enjoyment, we would be kidding ourselves if we didn’t acknowledge the future of this great personal competition came with a limited warranty. After all, Sampras turns 30 later this month and Agassi scooted up to 31 earlier in the year – they just simply can’t go on forever.

Despite their thirty-something status, however, there is no rush to write off this great rivalry just yet. Undoubtedly, there are probably a few more epic matches between the two that will delight fans. But what the tennis world needs to be careful about is trying to create a new rivalry for the new millennium to take the place of Pete and Andre. Touting a rivalry before it truly becomes a rivalry can often backfire for many reasons, starting with the obvious - one or both of the players might not make the grade. Better to take a backseat and watch things as they fall – a new rivalry is eventually likely to develop the old-fashioned way out of time and those special ingredients.