Sampras Won Exhibition Match at Macau

Pete Sampras won in three sets against Andre Agassi Sunday as the two married American tennis sport's greatest rivalries.

The 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 in an exhibition match held at the Venetian Macao Hotel. This was the first time the two had played since Sampras won in the 2002 U.S. Open final for his then-record 14th Grand Slam.


Agassi won the first set in 27 minutes with a single break in the fourth game, but Sampras responded with a much-improved performance in the second to prevail in 21 minutes to send the match to a decider with also a single break in the third game.

Sampras led their head-to-head series 20-14, including 4-1 in Grand Slam finals. Sampras said: "Andre just hits the ball so cleanly even after being retired for three years. The pace of his shots is just very heavy. "Today he was serving great, I think he even out-aced me. It was a pleasure playing him, he is a great player with a great return of serve.

US Open 2009: Opening Ceremony

2009 US Open Ceremony was held at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Many Celebrities were present in the opening night celebration. Andre Agassi eight time Grand Slam Champion, Mia Hamm Soccer superstar, NBA Champion David Robinson and former NFL star Doug Flutie were sports legends in the ceremony.
USTA Chairman of the Board and President Lucy Garvin, host of the event was Robin Roberts, co-anchor of ‘Good Morning, America." Not to forget, Rob Thomas singing “America the Beautiful," and the O’Jays, performing “Love Train.”


Even more celebrities like, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, American model Christie Brinkley, Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza, WNBA stars Janel McCarville, Michelle Fletcher, Leilani Mitchell,Ashley Battle, Erin Thorn and Stephanie White.

Roger Federer, Still What to Achieve?

Roger Federer has now won 14 Grand Slam titles,that 14 wins in the last 24 Grand Slams, tied with Pete Sampras (took 45) for the most in men's tennis history, and he likely won't be stopping there.

We can ask how he stacks up to the other all-time greats, but that's just a guessing game. Here's a better question: What hasn't Federer accomplished yet?

Olympic Singles Champion - Andre Agassi

Roger have dominated big tournaments but haven't won Olympics. He was a semifinalist in 2000, lost in the second round in 2004 and made the quarters in 2008.


Agassi is still the only male to have won all the Slams and a gold medal in singles for his career. Maybe the 2012 Olympics in London will be Federer's lucky charm all matches will be played at the All England Club.

Calendar year Grand Slam - Rod Laver

Laver won the French, Wimbledon, US and Australian crowns in the one calendar year, 1969. Incredibly, it was his second time, having first managed it in 1962.


Roger who has made 20 consecutive Grand Slam semifinals, it's certainly a possibility.

Real Grand Slam - Margaret Court

With 11 Australian singles, and five doubles, titles to her name Margaret Court (nee Smith) is arguably the greatest female player in the tournament’s history.


Federer has a ways to go to reach that mark,averaging over two per year, another five years oughta do it, right?

French-Wimbledon sweep - Bjorn Borg

Borg won both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year, thrice. Nadal has done it, too last year.


Now that Federer has step one in the books, he can turn his attention to another test of tennis endurance, two Slams in one month.

All-time ATP wins record - Jimmy Connors

Connors finished his 22-year career with 1,241 wins on the ATP Tour. Federer is now at 650. This isn't exactly an accurate benchmark, though.


The ATP didn't exist until 1972 — after Connors had already hit the scene — so many of the game's greats are out of the running.

11 straight years with a Grand Slam final - Ivan Lendl/Pete Sampras


Lendl and Sampras both made it to at least one Grand Slam final in 11 consecutive years, an open-era record. Federer has done it in seven so far and shows no signs of slowing up.


Sure, that 20 straight Grand Slam semifinals run is pretty impressive, but let's take it one step further, Rog, and do it over a long period of time.

Career doubles Slam - Roy Emerson

Emerson is the only male player to have won singles and doubles titles at all four Grand Slam tournaments. His 28 Grand Slam titles are an all-time record for a male player.


Federer has had doubles success with countryman Stanislas Wawrinka, winning gold at the Beijing Olympics. Maybe it's time for a new challenge?

Grand Slam Diversity - Steffi Graf

Steffi Graf won an incredible 107 career WTA singles titles and 11 career doubles titles. She captured an astounding 22 Grand Slam singles titles in a 13-year span. She won seven times at Wimbledon, six at Roland Garros, five at the U.S. Open and four at the Australian Open.


Roger's halfway there, already owning five Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles each. One more Aussie and three more French will get him there.

Wimbledon's Centre Court Gets New Look With Retractable Roof

Wimbledon, home to the world's most prestigious tennis tournament, shows off its new look Sunday with the debut of its retractable roof, the centerpiece of "A Centre Court Celebration." Past Wimbledon champions — and married couple — Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf played in an all-star exhibtion, along with Tim Henman and Kim Clijsters. The husband-and-wife team lost out to their opponents but clearly enjoyed every moment of being on the court, exchanging a kiss as the end of the match.


All four players gave the enclosed ­environment their approval. "They were the most fantastic playing conditions. There was no moisture on the court at all," Henman said, allaying Wimbledon's fear that condensation would be a major problem once the roof was closed and the costly investment in an air-management system would prove to have been a waste of money. "It's a lot warmer than it was but there's no excuses with the condition of the court."

So what about the roof from the spectator's point of view? Traditionally, the east-west swivel, eyes fixed on the trajectory of the ball, causes Wimbledon neck. On this particular day, though, it was the north-south movement that did the damage with glances cast upwards with the regularity of a group of tourists shepherded into the Sistine Chapel.