23 September 2010
Sampras to face Agassi at Garden
Pistol Pete heaps praise on world No. 1 Nadal
By Adam Zagoria
Pete Sampras says Rafael Nadal can eclipse Roger Federer's all-time record of 16 career grand slams and should already be considered among the "three or four" best tennis players ever.
"I think if he's smart with his schedule and the fact that he has so many at such a young age, I think he could very well do it," Sampras, who won 14 majors during his career, said Thursday on a conference call.
"It's a huge goal. It's a lot of majors, it's a lot of work. Quite honestly, I don't think he really needs to. He's won all the majors, he won the Olympics. He's dominated his main rival in Roger. And I don't think his goal is 16 or 17 or 18. I think he's just going to try to improve as a tennis player, and if it happens, great."
Sampras will take on his old rival Andre Agassi on Feb. 28 in the BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden. The event will also feature a match between 1980s rivals John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl.
Federer eclipsed Sampras' mark by beating Andy Roddick in an epic 2009 Wimbledon final for his 15th major. When Federer won the Australian Open in January, he led Nadal 16-6 in career majors.
Yet in the span of a few months, Nadal won the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open earlier this month over Novak Djokovic to complete the career grand slam. He now trails Federer 16-9 in slams and is 24.
That has sparked a debate about whether Nadal will eclipse Federer as the greatest player of all time.
"Everyone wants to name the one guy," Sampras said. "The way I look at all sports, and especially tennis, is each generation has their guy. In the '60s, it was [Rod] Laver. You had Ivan and John during the '80s. Myself and Andre for the '90s.
"Now we have Rafa who's done everything in the game. He's won all the majors. He's won the Olympics. He's got a winning record against Roger so you could very well put him on the top of the list. But it's so argumentative. There's no clear best player of all time. Each decade has their guy. You put [Bjorn] Borg in there, you put Don Budge up there.
"Rafa's definitely up there. You've got to put him in the top three or four just on what he's been able to do. And it's not over yet. He's in the middle of his career, so he could do a lot more great things."
Sampras said it was only natural that Federer, now 29 and the father of twin girls, would slow down but that he remains a factor to win a few more slams.
"He's done everything in the game," Sampras said. "You get to a point in your life where things slow down a little bit and you're not quite as fresh as you were when you're 22. And mentally it's a grind week in, week out on the tour.
"I still think he's a strong favorite for every major that he plays. He had two match points against Djokovic [in the U.S. Open semis]. He could have very well been in the finals. He's playing fine. I don't see any decline. I just think guys are getting a little better, a little bit more confident against him."
Although Federer and Nadal appear to have a strong friendship off the court, Sampras and Agassi have traded written and verbal barbs.
"He thinks I'm a bad tipper," Sampras cracked during a charity event earlier this year in which he and Federer played doubles against Agassi and Nadal.
It was a reference to comments in Agassi's autobiography, Open in which Agassi recounted a story in which Sampras allegedly tipped a valet one dollar. Agassi wrote, "We could not be more different, Pete and I."
Sampras compared their rivalry to Frazier and Ali and the Celtics and Lakers. He holds a 20-14 career edge on Agassi, including a 4-1 advantage in grand slam finals.
Despite the airing of dirty laundry, Sampras said he and Agassi had recently spent time together in Costa Rica and things were "fine."
"Obviously, he said a few things in his book and we've kind of had a few moments here and there," Sampras said on the call. "It's fine, it's respectful. And I'll leave it at that."
Sep 23, 2010
Sampras: Healthy Nadal may break Slam record
By MELISSA MURPHY
NEW YORK (AP) --- Pete Sampras says Rafael Nadal can break Roger Federer's record of 16 Grand Slam titles if he stays healthy and maintains a smart playing schedule.
The 24-year-old Nadal, known for his grinding style, recently won his ninth major at the U.S. Open to complete a career Grand Slam.
"If he's smart with his schedule and the fact that he has so many at such a young age, he could very well do it," Sampras said in a conference call Thursday for the BNP Paribas Showdown.
Sampras will meet former rival Andre Agassi for a best-of-three sets match Feb. 28 at Madison Square Garden. John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl, rivals from the 1980s and '90s, will play one set.
Sampras called Nadal "a beast" on the court and thinks Nadal can chase Federer's record. Federer surpassed Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slams in 2009.
"The only question with Rafa is physically how much his body can handle the pounding with how hard he works for every point," he said of Nadal, who has been sidelined with knee injuries and a pulled abdominal muscle in the last few years.
Federer was 25 when he earned his ninth Grand Slam at the 2006 U.S. Open. Since then, the 29-year-old Federer has won seven major titles.
Nadal also won the French Open and Wimbledon this year.
"(Nadal's) in the middle of his career, so he could do a lot more great things," Sampras said of the top-ranked Spaniard.
But the former No. 1 player added that Nadal doesn't need to break the Grand Slam record to prove himself.
"He's won all the majors, won the Olympics and has a winning record against Roger," Sampras said of the 14-7 career edge.
He also predicts Federer "is going to win a few more majors." Sampras said he had dinner with former coach Paul Annacone, who now coaches Federer.
"They're implementing coming in and being a little more unpredictable," Sampras said.
Sampras last played an exhibition at the Garden against Federer in 2008. He'll renew his rivalry with Agassi after exchanging verbal volleys with him at a Hit for Haiti exhibition in March.
Agassi apologized for poking fun at Sampras during the match at Indian Wells, Calif. After Sampras mimicked Agassi's pigeon-toed walk, Agassi repeated the criticism in his book "Open" that Sampras was a poor tipper.
Sampras responded with a high, hard serve that forced Agassi to duck.
"As competitive as we were in the '90s, we got along quite well," Sampras said. "Obviously, he said a few things in his book; we had a few moments. But it's fine."
Sampras said they recently spent time in Costa Rica and will play an exhibition match in South America. He'll also play Andy Roddick in Omaha, Neb., in his training for the showdown.