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Cool Federer burns Sampras in exhibition

Pete Sampras jumps to return a shot from Swiss tennis player Roger Federer during an exhibition match at Madison Square Garden in New York on Monday. PHOTO: EPA

Roger Federer, in his ultra-modern all-black getup, and Pete Sampras, in his old-school all-white outfit, showed off the skills that earned them a combined 26 Grand Slam titles and more than a decade of No. 1 rankings.

It was an exhibition, yes, but Federer still flicked his fancy strokes from all angles, just the way he does on tennis' grandest stages these days.

Sampras still smacked big forehands and bigger aces, just the way he did back in his day.

Federer is closing in on Sampras' record of 14 major tennis championships, a mark that truly exists only in black in white, written in a record book. For nearly two-and-a-half hours, before an appreciative and occasionally raucous gathering of 19,690 at Madison Square Garden, these two living, breathing greats of the game shared a court.

Current No. 1 Federer beat former No. 1 Sampras 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6) in an encounter that certainly doesn't settle the "Who is better?" debate, given that one participant is 26 and the other is 36, and nothing more than bragging rights was on the line. It did, however, raise tennis' profile, make both men some money -- US$1 million for Federer, less for Sampras -- and, well, allow people to say they saw Sampras, the best of his generation, face Federer, the best of his.

No one can say they saw Ali face Tyson in a boxing ring. Or Hogan face Woods on a golf course.

Tiger Woods, who happens to be friends with Federer, sat in the front row on Monday, part of a sellout crowd.

"This is maybe why so many people came out: You don't often get the No. 1 in his prime playing against maybe the greatest player of all time," said Federer, who recently recovered from a bout of mononucleosis that he thinks contributed to losses in his past two tour matches.

After Monday's match, Federer referred to Sampras as "my childhood hero."

It was the fourth Federer-Sampras exhibition; Federer won two of their three encounters in Asia late last year.

"I thought I had him there for a split second," said Sampras, who led 5-2 in the third set on Monday.

The two only played one real match, back at Wimbledon in 2001, when an up-and-coming Federer edged an on-the-way-out Sampras in a five-setter on Centre Court.

That ended Sampras' 31-match winning streak at the All England Club; he would never add to his seven titles there. Federer would go on to win five consecutive championships at Wimbledon, a streak that he will try to extend this summer.

Before the match, Sampras spoke about hoping to find "some old magic" -- enough just to keep things interesting. He did that and more, earning his first break point with a cross-court forehand winner that would win a real point in a real match in a real tournament right now.

"You still got it, Pete!" rang a cry from the stands.

And right on cue, as if to remind that spectator and maybe even himself that he enjoys retirement, Sampras proceeded to miss three consecutive shots and lose that game.

"It's just amazing to see how well Pete still hangs in there," Federer said afterward.
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