Agassi compares Federer's game against Sampras'

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Agassi picks nemesis Federer over Sampras
By Clive White

Comparing a champion of one era to a champion of another is an invidious task at the best of times, unless the one doing the comparing has first-hand knowledge of both and is able to articulate that knowledge. That's why Andre Agassi's views on the merits of Pete Sampras and Roger Federer deserve respect.

The career of Grand Slam tennis's elder statesman has straddled that of both players, and when he left the stadium court here at Crandon Park on Friday night after losing to Federer in the semi-finals of the Nasdaq-100 Open he will have recognised the frustration that consumed him. (...)

And according to Agassi, the great Sampras might not have fared any better. After all, he lost to the emerging Federer in their only meeting at Wimbledon in 2001.

"The biggest distinction inside the lines that I feel playing Roger, versus playing Pete, is there were a lot of lapses with Pete," said Agassi. "You could play a bad set and possibly get into a breaker with him. With Roger, there's just no relief. In every department you have to be concentrating and ready to go because he'll take advantage of you on any part of the court.

"That's not to say that Pete's up-side wasn't just as spectacular because when Pete missed a first serve, I still thought to myself, 'God, just get this thing in play so you have a chance'. With Roger, he misses a first serve, I'm thinking, 'Okay, here we go'. I think Roger has a better return than Pete. I think Pete volleys better. I think Roger moves better, is better from the baseline. But Pete's serve was probably better … they pose different problems entirely, but Roger makes you do it from start to finish, and Pete made you do something incredibly special at a lot of given times." (...)

I think Agassi described the difference between Federer and Sampras perfectly! Sampras seemed to pull his best stuff only when he needed too, Federer does it as much as he can.

That was mainly due to his disease, he tried to save as much energy as possible throughout a match or he's spent.

Yeah one reason why Sampras never did too well at Roland Garros and did well at Wimbledon was because he had anemia, and unfortunately one of the main symptoms of anemia is fatigue. Its also another reason why Sampras did better at Grand Slams then Master's Tennis Series, and why Sampras often got fatigued easilier than others.

To read about anemia click on this link http://my.webmd.com/content/article/8/1680_54569.htm

You have to question if Pete would've won more Slams if he wasn't plagued.

You have to question if Pete would've won more Slams if he wasn't plagued.

doubt it, his record in 5 setters (even on clay) was very good so I doubt it was a significant problem.

doubt it, his record in 5 setters (even on clay) was very good so I doubt it was a significant problem.

This could become a problem over long periods of time, and this is maybe one reason why Sampras became a serve and volley player instead of a baseliner. Think of how good he could have been if he didn't have this disease. :eek:

I don't know, maybe the disease actually helped him, it forced him to become a GREAT serve and volleyer. He couldn't do the baseline thing so he had to make up for it and boy did he ever!

Sampras had a condition called "beta thalassemia minor". This reflects his ethnic origins. This means that he had one copy of an abnormal hemoglobin gene.

Although people with 2 mutations are severely affected, people with one mutation, like sampras, are almost invariably assymptomatic. i.e. it doesn't affect them.

Their blood tests look like they have mild iron deficiency, but they don't, and their actual blood red cell count and hemoglobin concentrations are in the normal range.

Thanks for clearing it up, I was thinking, wouldn't we have heard ALOT about this if it effected his game!