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November 23, 2007
Sampras says Federer more dominant than he ever was, will win more Slams
By Min Lee, Associated Press
MACAU - Pete Sampras said Roger Federer is more dominant than he ever was and
predicted the Swiss No. 1 will surpass his record of 14 Grand Slam
titles, as the two tennis greats arrived in the Chinese gambling
enclave of Macau on Friday for the last of their three-match Asian
exhibition series.
Still, Sampras isn't prepared to give up his place in history just yet.
Asked how a Sampras in his prime would fare against Federer, the 36-year-old American said it wasn't a fair comparison.
"For me, in my prime, I felt unbeatable. In Roger's days, he's
unbeatable. It's really hard to put one guy over the other. Having said
that, I think Roger is dominating the game much more than I ever did. I
think he's going to go on and past 14 and win 16, 17, 18 majors,"
Sampras said at a news conference, adding that he thought Federer would
remain No. 1 a "very, very long time."
"I think he's going to break all records," he said.
Federer has won 12 Grand Slams titles so far — two short of Sampras' 14.
Sampras, who retired in 2002 after winning the U.S. Open, lost the
first two matches of the exhibition series in straight sets. Their only
previous meeting was in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2001, when
Federer won in five sets.
Sampras poked fun at his losses — 6-4, 6-3 in Seoul Tuesday and 7-6
(6), 7-6 (5) in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday — urging Federer to "throw me
a bone" in their final matchup Saturday at the Venetian Macao arena and
comparing taking a set off the Swiss star to an eighth Wimbledon title.
When Federer, fresh from winning the Masters Cup in Shanghai last
week, said Sampras "has a chance" on Saturday, the American sheepishly
repeated, "just a chance."
However, Federer, 26, was respectful toward the elder Sampras, whose
playing style and career resemble his. Both serve and volley well and
both play with single-handed backhands. Both players have dominated
Wimbledon — Sampras has won seven times and Federer five. And both have
struggled to win on clay at the French Open — the only Grand Slam to
elude them both.
"Playing against Pete is obviously a big honor because I grew up
idolizing Pete, his game, the way he pulled off shots on big points,
his beautiful technique, the way he ran on court. Everything is
perfect," Federer said.
He added that he enjoyed spending time with Sampras during the Asian tour and hearing him share the ups and downs of his career.
"It's been a great insight for me," he said.
The Swiss player was asked repeatedly about his missing French trophy.
When a Chinese TV reporter asked if he would prefer a gold medal at
the Beijing Olympics or the French title next year, Federer said it was
a tough call but Sampras interjected, "I'd take the French."
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