US Open: Champion Sampras is a man reborn
It was precisely the US Open final New York had wanted. Understandably the city has been much concerned with the anniversary of September 11, and the "day that changed the world". Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi provided the crowd with something constant, something reassuring, as if perhaps nothing had really changed. An ordinary match would have sufficed but Sampras's 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 victory to claim a 14th slam title was something quite extraordinary.
This was a marvellous win for Sampras. It was not only Greg Rusedski who had written him off. The man himself, previously without a title since Wimbledon 2000, clearly doubted his own ability to raise himself back to his old levels having passed his 31st birthday.
Yet his third-round victory against Rusedski, a match the British player should really have won, perhaps did more than anything to convince Sampras he could capture another slam title and extend his record. His tough fourth-round victory over Germany's Tommy Haas, the No3 seed, gave a similar boost.
By the time he played the young American Andy Roddick in the quarter-finals, Sampras was a man reborn. The serve, always his most potent weapon by far, was fizzing again, and as his confidence increased his movement improved - no longer "one and a half steps slower" as Rusedski had said, but just half a step.
What Agassi, 32, wanted more than anything was to extend Sampras in the first set, and hope that his energy would give out. This did not happen, and it was not until the third set that the New York crowd began to feel they were getting value for money. They wanted blood and sweat, and as Sampras began to fade the roar of approval for Agassi, always a New York favourite, grew and grew. This was the 34th meeting between the two tennis leviathans, and Sampras's 20th win. It was also the first men's US Open final in the Open era between two thirty-somethings.
The two men had no secrets. Agassi knew he had to tame the Sampras serve, while Sampras realised he probably had to get the match over as quickly as possible. This he nearly achieved, but when he lost the second set all the old doubts were raised. Suddenly Agassi seemed likely to take the match into a fifth set, and perhaps achieve the turnaround he had achieved in winning the 1999 French Open final.
The shadows were already creeping across the court of the Arthur Ashe stadium as the final began. With CBS ruling the roost, the NFL match between the New York Jets and the Buffalos, also showing live, had to finish before a ball was struck, and it went into overtime. Overdrive was what both Agassi and Sampras were looking for, and the early chance to rest the initiative.
All points went with the serve for the first four games before Agassi, the best returner in the game, forced the first deuce. This was Sampras's fifth match in seven days and he was doubtless only too aware that having reached this stage in the previous two years he had fallen hopelessly short on the physical front, losing in straight sets against Hewitt last year, and Safin the year before.
The fact that his opponent this time was older may have been a comfort, although many, including John McEnroe believe Agassi has been playing better tennis since he turned 30. However, Agassi had by far the tougher semi-final against Hewitt on Saturday, and it was Sampras who appeared the sharper, three big forehands leading to a break in the eighth game. A double fault and a missed volley saw Sampras squander two set points before he wrapped up the first set in just under half an hour.
In last year's US Open quarter-final, which Sampras won against Agassi in four sets, there was not a single break of serve, with four tie-breaks deciding the issue. Having broken Agassi for the opening set, Sampras immediately re-imposed himself at the start of the second to build a 2-0 lead. This was something close to vintage Sampras, and Agassi was pretty much powerless, with memories slipping back to the 1999 Wimbledon final which Sampras won in three sublime sets of utter domination. Agassi was trailing 5-2 in the second set before he finally managed to stem the rushing tide with a break of his own. A combination of excellent returns, a lucky mis-hit, and a couple of rare Sampras mistakes opened the door, but even as he completed the break Agassi shook his head, recognising it had come too late. The next service game Sampras made no mistake, and in just over the hour he was two sets ahead. The third was much tighter with Sampras showing distinct signs of weariness. Agassi, watching like a hawk for any sign of weakness, swooped. In the fourth set Sampras needed seven deuces to hold for 2-2. Had Agassi broken then it might have been a different ending.
"Andre always brings out the best in me," said Sampras. Not quite the best on this occasion, although given the circumstances it will be a victory that Sampras will cherish more than many.