Sampras-Agassi rivalry

Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi are retired professional men's tennis players who were ranked World No. 1 during the 1990s. With contrasting styles and temperaments, they played each other 34 times from 1989 through 2002, with Sampras winning 20 of their matches.

In Grand Slam tournaments, they played in five finals, with Sampras winning four. They met for the first time in a Grand Slam final at the 1990 US Open, with Agassi the favorite because of his top three ranking even though Sampras had defeated former World No. 1 players Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe on the way to the final. Sampras defeated Agassi in straight sets.

The Sampras-Agassi rivalry was at its peak in 1995 when the pair traded the World No. 1 ranking on several occasions. The pair both agreed to play in the Davis Cup but only on the condition that the other played. The United States went on to win the cup. During the year, the most notable matches between these players were at the finals of Australian Open, Indian Wells, Canadian Open and US Open, with Sampras winning at Indian Wells and the US Open. The US Open final gripped tennis audiences in a match Agassi claimed would decide the World No. 1 ranking.

The next time the pair met at a Grand Slam final was at Wimbledon in 1999, a match that was considered a career rejuvination for both. While Sampras had suffered a string of dissapointments in the last year Agassi was just regaining his status as a top-ranked player after winning the French Open. Later that year, Sampras had to withdraw from the US Open due to injury and ultimately forfeited his World No. 1 ranking to Agassi.

In arguably their most memorable match, Sampras defeated Agassi in a 2001 US Open quarterfinal 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 7-6(2), 7-6(5) in a match which featured no breaks of serve. The last match in their rivalry came at the 2002 US Open final. It was their first meeting in the final since Sampras won in 1995. Several commentators claimed their match was a symbolic way to close out their rivalry. Sampras went on to win the match in four sets and shortly after announced his retirement from the game.

Head-to-head

Pete Sampras 20-14 Andre Agassi

Breakdown of their rivalry

* Hard courts: Sampras 11-9
* Grass courts: Sampras 2-0
* Clay courts: Agassi 3-2
* Carpet: Sampras 5-2
* Grand Slam finals: Sampras 4-1
* All finals: Sampras 9-7

External Links

* [http://www.informationtennis.com/#/tennisrivalries/4529958354 Sampras-Agassi] rivalry on [http://www.informationtennis.com Information Tennis]
* [http://www.atptennis.com/5/en/players/playerprofiles/playeractivity.asp?prevtrnnum=0&year=1990&query=Singles&selTournament=0&player=S402&x=23&y=6 Sampras-Agassi] head-to-head on [http://www.atptennis.com ATP Tennis]