Old Match Review- 2000

[noeledmonds]

I had the idea to review matches of past times by year. If this catches on then I hope we can review a match every week from a different year. This week will be from 2000, next week will be from 1999, then 1998 etc. This weeks match is..........

Sampras vs. Agassi (AO SF 2000)

The score here was Agassi d. Sampras 6-4 3-6 6-7 7-6(5) 6-1. What a fantastic match it was though. The 4th set tiebreak was out of this world!

This match was significant in their rivalry. Sampras had essentialy won their last 4 encounters in straight sets*. Agassi somehow managed to win the 4th set tiebreak, went on to win the match, and then his next 3 encounters with Sampras (2 Finals and 1 SF).

*Agassi beat Sampras in 1999 Singles Championship RR, but lost to Sampras in the final in straight sets

Any thoughts?

[andreh]

Yeah, don't reveal the score when reviewing matches.

[noeledmonds]

Originally Posted by andreh

Yeah, don't reveal the score when reviewing matches.

I don't see why not. Anyone who would comment on the match should have seen it. I think you should know the outcome of the match if you are even in the former pro player talk section.

Anyway andreh, do you have any thoughts on the match?

[drakulie]

One thing I found extremely funny was when the birds pooped on the court. If memory serves correctly, the poop landed near agassi while he was serving. LOL

On to the match:

This was an awesome match. They were both equally pumped up from the first point. Sampras, as usual was coming up with the big serve time after time. Up until that last set, the first four were very high quality.

Incredible how Agassi destroyed him in that final set.

[noeledmonds]

Originally Posted by drakulie

This was an awesome match. They were both equally pumped up from the first point. Sampras, as usual was coming up with the big serve time after time. Up until that last set, the first four were very high quality.

Incredible how Agassi destroyed him in that final set.

Yes it was interesting how Sampras seemed resigned to his fate in the 5th set. I know he was stuggling physically, but still 6-1 is a real demolishion. It was almost as if Sampras poured everything he had left into the 4th set tiebreak and on that day Agassi had the goods.

One thing I found extremely funny was when the birds pooped on the court. If memory serves correctly, the poop landed near agassi while he was serving. LOL

Yes, I had fogoten about the poop incident. I belive it was that match. Hardly a defining moment in the match though. I seem to remember that Agassi seemed to joke about it but Sampras did not even show signs of a smile.

[Moose Malloy]

the 6-1 was bit closer than it looked. when he was up 4-1, it was only one break(& sampras had break points to get to 3-2) when agassi held to 4-1, he knew it was huge, sampras got a little deflated & got broken to 5-1. Agassi still had to fight off break points at 5-1, I'm sure it was the hardest 6-1 set of his life.

Sampras suffered an injury during that match which put him out of action for a while. Had he beat Agassi that day he may have been unable to complete the final.

[noeledmonds]

Originally Posted by Moose Malloy

the 6-1 was bit closer than it looked. when he was up 4-1, it was only one break(& sampras had break points to get to 3-2) when agassi held to 4-1, he knew it was huge, sampras got a little deflated & got broken to 5-1. Agassi still had to fight off break points at 5-1, I'm sure it was the hardest 6-1 set of his life.

Sampras suffered an injury during that match which put him out of action for a while. Had he beat Agassi that day he may have been unable to complete the final.

This is true, but Agass never really makes final sets easy for himself, particularly when a player like Sampras is standing on the other side of the net. I don't remember thinking that Sampras's injury was bad enough to prevent him playing in the final. He was certainly moving fine in the 4th set tiebreak when he hit a running forehand winner. With Kafelnikov waiting the chapionship was for the taking, I always really viewed this SF as a "virtual final". I think Sampras would probabely have played (and won) the final if he had won the semi. Its all just speculation though of course.

Thinking back on the match it very much reminds me of the later SF between Federer and Safin. Safin and Agassi were the tallented underdogs with mental weakness on their favourite (rebound ace) surface. Both came through a tight 4th set tiebreak and then went on to win the match and later the championship. The only real difference is that Safin's win went down to the wire in the 5th set. (I know this is not really relevant by it occured to me the similarities are remarkable)

[andreh]

Originally Posted by noeledmonds

I don't see why not. Anyone who would comment on the match should have seen it. I think you should know the outcome of the match if you are even in the former pro player talk section.

Anyway andreh, do you have any thoughts on the match?

Ok. I stand corrected.

Yes I do have thoughts. It was great match as were most between these two players. S&V - allcourt players like Sampras against baseline bashers like Agassi were always very entertaining. The clash of two different ideologies. Unfortunatly I don't remeber any details, just a general memory of a great match.

I reviewed an old match myself on this forum a while ago between Edberg and Agassi in Indian Wells 1990. Equally entertaining, varied game styles, lots finesse and lots of winner from both players.

[haerdalis]

Yeah great match this. I have to say I think the third set tiebreak was better than the fourth. Sure the fourth had more drama but the stuff Sampras produced in the third set breaker was amazing. More credit to Agassi for not folding after such a tiebreak.