A Rivalry for the Ages Continues

Tennis is the winner in the Sampras-Agassi final

By Sandra Harwitt
tennisreporters.net

Susan Mullane Camerawork USA, Inc.

FROM THE U.S. OPEN – Playing in their third career meeting, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi were pitted against each other in their first Grand Slam final at the 1990 US Open. At the time, if someone had made the pronouncement that 13 years later, the two would be facing each other again, in their fifth Grand Slam final and their 34th career encounter at the 2002 U.S. Open, most would have thought the prediction was absurd.

But, here we are a day before the men’s final and about to behold the unexpected: a final between two men who have created a rivalry for the ages since first playing against each other at the 1989 Italian Open. There was no doubt that the capacity crowd, who jumped to their feet in a rapturous standing ovation for Andre Agassi after he beat the defending champion and world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (1-7), 6-2, were thrilled that the dream match was on the horizon.
And there was no doubt that both Agassi and Sampras, who earned his third consecutive U.S. Open final berth with a 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 victory over Dutchman Sjeng Schalken, were most enthusiastic of all about the pending final.

Agassi said, “I can definitely say that there’s been nothing like it in my career that compares to playing against Pete. Pete, in my opinion, is the best that I have every played against. That forces you to do a little something special.”

Sampras said, “If it’s Andre, it would be just a huge moment for both of us, for the game. Two older players, two rivals over the years. He brings out the best in me. To walk out there with him would be very unique, very special.”

THE NUMBERS TELL THE STORY: SAMPRAS
Here’s the statistical lowdown on the Sampras-Agassi rivalry.

The scales tip in the favor of Sampras, who to date holds a 19-14 career edge over Agassi. Sampras has beaten Agassi in three of their four Grand Slam final outings, the ’90 and ’95 U.S. Opens and ’99 Wimbledon, with Agassi prevailing in the ’95 Australian Open championship match.

At the Open, Sampras has won all three of their meetings, which include their two final appearances as well as a breathtaking 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-2), 7-5 (7-5) quarterfinal outing last year.

In total, Sampras owns a record 13 Grand Slam titles, but has failed to go beyond one career semifinal appearance at the French Open in 1996. As for Agassi, he holds seven Grand Slam titles, but unlike Sampras, is one of only five men who have captured the singles trophy at all four Grand Slams at least once.

The reason the matches between Sampras and Agassi have remained etched in the minds of tennis fans is that their contrasting styles create excitement. Sampras brings his serve-and-volley to the court, while Agassi brings his return-of-serve and power.

“I have a lot of respect for Andre,” Sampras said. “He’s the best returner in the game. It’s a great clash. If it happens, it will be one to remember.”

CLASSY ANDRE SUPPORTS PETE
Speaking of respect, Agassi was rather vociferous about the fact he believes many in the business have been nothing but disrespectful to his greatest rival, scowling at suggestions that Sampras’s lackluster performance this year should be a signal he should hang-up his rackets.

“You always root for somebody that – I mean, we’ve grown up together,” Agassi said. “When you hear all this talk about his game, where he’s at, where he’s not at. Sometimes, unfortunately, you even hear it from peers who should have a heck of a lot more respect than they’ve shown. So, inside my own mind, I have been pulling for him. I think it’s only right that somebody that’s accomplished what he has, deserves to play the game on his terms, regardless of how the ball seems to be bouncing that day.”

It’s hard to deny that both the 31-year-old Sampras and the 32-year-old Agassi deserve a great deal of reverence for still playing at a level in their thirties that has brought them to the U.S. Open final.

The upcoming championship outing between the two marks the first time that two players over 30 are competing for a Grand Slam title since a 37-year-old Ken Rosewall defeated 36-year-old Mal Anderson at the 1972 Australian Open. Here, at the Open, you have to go way back to 1929 when 36-year-old Bill Tilden outlasted 35-year-old Francis T. Hunter to find a final between two thirty-something-aged players.

Susan Mullane Camerawork USA, Inc.

As to the outcome, maybe the law of averages will fall on the side of Agassi, who has lost to Sampras on all three previous occasions the two have played at the U.S. Open. Or maybe Sampras will prove to all those who have written him off that his insistence that he has another major in him was true.

Let’s face the simple fact: it doesn’t really matter who wins the final because you couldn’t ask for a better story.

As Agassi was quick to acknowledge, there will be no losers in this year’s final, saying, “It seems to be only good. You know, we both have a wonderful opportunity ahead of us. I think one of us will be more disappointed than the other tomorrow, but ultimately I think the game will be better off for it.”

If one is looking for the most poignant result in the match, then it would be hard not to lean on Sampras’s side. If Sampras wins the title, it will mark the second time he has won the U.S. Open on September 8th, the birthday of his former coach, Tim Gullikson, who succumbed to brain cancer in May 1996. When Sampras won the title on September 8, 1996, only months after the death of Gullikson, he looked to the sky in remembrance of his coach and good friend after the match against Michael Chang was over.