Raonic To Face Idol Sampras in Toronto Exhibition

By Mike McIntyre

Twenty year-old Canadian tennis phenom Milos Raonic is set to face legend Pete Sampras, the man he idolized growing-up, in an exhibition match in Toronto this November that is being billed as the Face-Off presented by SAP.

Mark November 17th on your calendars as it will showcase the first ever tennis match to be played at the Air Canada Centre, which normally houses the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Thursday night tennis exhibition will also feature Canadian female players Aleksandra Wozniak and Eugenie Bouchard. The format for the evening will include some mixed-doubles with the four tennis stars, followed by a women's set between veteran Wozniak and up-and-coming junior sensation Bouchard. The evening with culminate with the exciting feature match between Raonic and Sampras.

Surprisingly, the match will be the first that Raonic has played on home soil this year due to a difficult hip injury that he sustained at Wimbledon in June. The recovery period forced him to miss playing in Canada's Masters 1000 event, the Rogers Cup and also prevented him from competing at the U.S. Open.

Since returning to the ATP World Tour earlier in October, Raonic has quickly found the form that catapulted him into the top-thirty in the world rankings earlier in 2011.

He lost a tough match to second-ranked Rafael Nadal in Tokyo and then suffered another difficult defeat in Shanghai against world no. 5 David Ferrer. Not an easy return to the game for any player after a nearly four month layoff.

Things took a step-up this past week in Stockholm where Raonic advanced all the way to the semi-finals before being beaten by eventual champion Gael Monfils 6-7, 6-4, 6-3.

With the regular season of professional tennis nearly over, the exhibition with Sampras will be a nice way for the young Canuck to finish his roller-coaster year.

"Playing in front of my hometown against my hero growing up is a dream come true," said Raonic. "I'm also really excited about playing the first ever tennis event at the Air Canada Centre with Pete, Aleks, and Eugénie and I know tennis fans in Toronto and surrounding provinces will pack the arena to see how I match up with one of the best of all time".

One would normally be suspicious about how a forty year old like Sampras could compete with someone just entering his physical prime, but the American tennis legend has been quite active this fall while playing on Jim Courier's Champions Series tennis circuit.

The former 14-time Grand Slam champion finished the season as the top-ranked player on the senior tour and displayed that he still has a knack for coming up with some booming serves when required and has not lost his killer instinct on a tennis court. He finished with an 11-2 record against some of the best players of his generation including Andre Agassi and Michael Chang.

Always a proud man on the court, Sampras has said that he is, "looking forward to playing in Canada once again. I have great memories playing in the tournaments in Toronto and Montreal during my professional career and playing against Milos will certainly bring out that same competitive fire. I am anxious to show Milos and the fans that I can still play with the best at the highest level."

Here at ProTennisFan and in connection with title sponsor of the event, SAP Canada, we are happy to announce a contest for fans looking to attend the event live. Two of our lucky readers will get free tickets to watch Raonic and Sampras in-person at the Air Canada Centre. The winning tickets will be given to a reader of ours who comments on this posting and will be selected on November 8th, one week prior to the big event. Please leave your email address in your post so that you can be contacted if your name is selected.

Fans looking to follow Milos as the event draws near can check out the young star on Twitter where he is a regular contributor. You can also follow our Tweets at ProTennisFan to stay in the loop.

We'll leave you with a link to series of videos that feature Milos as well as one in particular of Milos giving tips on how to have an effective serve. We hope you get the chance to watch him deliver his trademark weapon in person on November 17th. Good luck!

Sampras vs Agassi Post Match Press Conference in New York

By Mike McIntyre

Not too many reporters stuck around for the brief Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi post match press conference at Madison Square Garden last night in New York. Either they did not realize that the players would do press for an exhibition match or they decided that there was little worth talking about following the 6-3, 7-5 victory by Sampras.

ProTennisFan was front row and managed to record this seven minute long clip. The quality is not the greatest and it is slightly off-center, but they do provide some nice answers. Agassi also questions whether yours truly had taken the time to read his autobiography after I asked him how he has managed to reconcile his negative feelings towards the sport.

 Agassi/Sampras Press Conference

 

Be sure to follow ProTennisFan on Twitter for timely tennis updates.

Sampras Eases Past Agassi at BNP Paribas Showdown in New York

By Mike McIntyre

It was like looking through a time-warp Monday night in New York. Madison Square Garden opened its hallowed gates for an evening of classic tennis between some of the greatest players to ever pick-up a racquet. 

The BNP Paribas Showdown tried to re-ignite legendary rivalries between Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe as well as Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras. With 37 Grand Slams between the four players there is no doubting their past accomplishments. Yet while on paper the idea seemed intriguing, in real life it did not quite translate as planned. The evening did however prove that tennis still has a place at MSG and that the people of New York would love to watch the sport live more than once a year.

Lendl and McEnroe kicked things off at 7pm as the arena was still filling up. Unfortunately the match was nothing close to any of their gripping encounters from the 1980s that included 20 ATP World Tour finals. After years of hitting golf, rather than tennis balls, Lendl clearly lacked the necessary match practice to keep up with McEnroe and found himself in a 0-4 hole pretty quickly.

The lack of competitiveness had a distinct hand in keeping the crowd subdued as they collectively wondered if we'd see anything that relatively resembled what one might expect from two men who hold 15 Grand Slam titles between them. It's one thing to watch a dull match when there is at least something on the line, but in an exhibition it becomes just plain painful pretty quickly.

Just when it appeared that Lendl might be picking his game up slightly, McEnroe retired leading 6-3 with an ankle injury he had sustained while warming up two hours prior to the event. The fact that an injured Johnny Mac was able to still dominate his opponent spoke volumes to the disparity that existed between the two on this night.

Almost as disappointing as the lack of competition between these two old rivals was the complete absence of any of McEnroe's typical bad-boy antics. No cursing the umpire or an unsuspecting spectator. No thrown racquet or disputed line-calls. McEnroe's silence was even more surprising than that of the crowd but I guess it's hard to blow a gasket when you're leading so comfortably.

The main tilt between Agassi and Sampras got underway around 9pm and just from watching the warm-up you could tell that this would be a much more skillful match. Aside from the fact that these two American legends are roughly twelve years younger than their opening act, they have both been playing competitive exhibition matches of late.

Agassi played twice against retired head-case Marat Safin in Taiwan in January, while Sampras played two weeks ago against current pro Gael Monfils in San Jose. The two were clearly trying to arrive in New York prepared yet not for what some media had anticipated as a grudge match after last year's embarrassment in the "Hit for Haiti" fundraiser.

For those of you who missed that one, here's a reminder of the bad blood that surfaced between these two usually classy guys. Things start playfully at the 1:32 mark of the clip when Sampras shows off his sense of humor by imitating Agassi's pigeon-toed walk. I have to admit that at the time I thought it was refreshing to see Pete show us his lighter side. Unfortunately Agassi responded by taking things to another level by making reference to Pete being a bad tipper. This statement was all the more hurtful since it was written in Agassi's autobiography which had already caused tension between the two. Sampras proceeded to aim a serve directly at Agassi and the mood for the rest of the evening was one of tense confusion as the crowd struggled to figure out if the two were seriously airing out their differences or not.

This time around fortunately the two stuck to playing tennis and did their best to rekindle memories from their glory days. For Sampras, he aptly proved he still has his greatest weapon of all - his serve. Agassi admitted after the match that while other parts of Pistol Pete's game might not be as vicious as they once were, the one device that always frustrated him still packed a punch. Agassi too showed us glimpses into the past with some torrid forehand returns that from time to time left Sampras flat-footed.

Mostly though, this was a night where Sampras was the sharper of the two. He moved well for a 39 year-old and often found his way to the net where he still could put away the majority of his volleys. His footwork seemed solid and he displayed a real desire to compete. Agassi did too, but more often than he would have liked saw his shots fall short of their intended targets. Sampras would prevail 6-3, 7-5.

While it was not the three set nail-bitter that fans were hoping for, it still brought us back to the greatest American tennis rivalry of the past twenty years. One more time Agassi and Sampras managed to divide a crowd's allegiances almost evenly down the middle. Chants of "Come on Andre!" and "Let's Go Pete" were being traded back and forth in the stands just as frequently as the two players traded their groundstrokes down on the court.

For the players, it was clear that their bodies would no longer perform the same reflexes and reactions that they once did so routinely. That's bound to happen when you've been away from the game for eight years like Sampras and five for Agassi and only find the time for a few exhibitions a year. The most difficult thing for some fans to watch in friendly matches like this one isn't that the players are no longer what they used to be, but rather that there is really nothing on the line for two great former champions to play for.

Despite the lament for something more meaningful to validate this tennis showdown, Agassi was able to find one word to explain why we were all here today: nostalgia. During changeovers the jumbo-tron played clips of their greatest Grand Slam matches against each other. Not only did these highlights enthral the crowd as they reflected on the past but Agassi and Sampras as well. My favorite image of the night was of the two sitting in their chairs with Sampras leading 5-4 in the second set and both simultaneously straining their necks to watch a montage of their 2001 U.S. Open quarterfinal match on the jumbo-tron. Even within a match that was not yet finished, nostalgia for what they once had together made them pause and reflect. The fact that they shared that moment with 17,000 tennis fans tonight in New York is meaning enough for me.

 

Sampras vs. Agassi Rivalry Ready to Resume in New York

By Mike McIntyre

One of the greatest American tennis rivalries in the history of tennis ready to resume tonight at historic Madison Square Gardens in New York City.

Attempting to turn back the clocks will be 39 year old Pete Sampras against 40 year old Andre Agassi. The pair have been linked together since their first meeting as pros back in 1989 and finished their careers with total of 22 Grand Slam titles. Sampras owned a 20-14 career head-to-head against Agassi.

Diametrically opposed in the way they handled themselves both on and off the court, the tension between the two seems to have mounted in recent years. At an exhibition match to raise funds for victims of the floods in Haiti a year ago, the two engaged in a verbal joust while on court with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in a doubles match. Sampras first mimicked Agassi's trademark pigeon-toed walk and then Andre got things amped-up with a sarcastic comment about how Pete was cheap and a low-tipper.

When asked recently to describe his relationship with Sampras over the years, a typically comic Agassi replied, "Our relationship, is strictly platonic, I assure you. Pete and I spent a lot of weekends together -- on Sundays with a blimp in the sky."

About their on-court incident a year ago Agassi said, "Unfortunately … I had a microphone to my mouth for too long. That was my fault. I apologized to him directly. Hopefully, life will allow us to get to know each other better."

The two will try to get to know each other better tonight in a best of three sets match at MSG which has been labelled the BNP Paribas Showdown. Prior to the main event, Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe will do battle in a one set affair.

Check back later for full coverage of the event.

 

Lendl, Roddick, Safin and Sampras in Action in Atlantic City

By Mike McIntyre

The Caesars Tennis Classic is on today in Atlantic City and features some of the most exciting tennis players from the past twenty years.

First up is Ivan Lendl against Mats Wilander. That is followed by American Andy Roddick against recently-retired Marat Safin of Russia. Finishing the day is a battle between current player James Blake and former Grand Slam record-holder Pete Sampras.

Personally I would have enjoyed watching Pete take on Marat or Andy - but this is still a pretty entertaining line-up.

Have a look at the exhibition website. Hopefully we'll get a couple of video clips up in the days to come.

Agassi Sorry for Behavior at Hit for Haiti

Andre Agassi has offered a public apology to Pete Sampras for his inappropriate behavior at the Hit for Haiti charity event at Indian Wells on Friday evening. He hopes for the opportunity to meet with Pete in person to apologize face-to-face. Agassi mentions that he got carried away in the heat of the moment, trying to come up with something comedic for the crowd.

See below for the full article by the Associated Press.

INDIAN WELLS, California (AP)—Andre Agassi told ESPN.com he was “out of line” and apologized for poking fun at Pete Sampras during a charity match last week.

Longtime rivals Agassi and Sampras were wearing microphones during the match, and the crowd at Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California could hear an exchange that started lighthearted but turned testy.

At one point Sampras mimicked Agassi’s pigeon-toed walk, which drew laughs from the crowd.

Then Agassi chided Sampras for being stingy. In his book, Agassi criticized Sampras for being a poor tipper.

Sampras responded with a high, hard serve that forced Agassi, who was partnering Rafael Nadal, to duck.

Both Agassi and Sampras were smiling, but neither showed up at the post-match news conference.

“It was out of line,” Agassi told ESPN.com on Monday. “It was inappropriate. The night was on fire. We were all having fun. I was trying to be comedic. I only had a split second to make a decision. I went for it and it fell flat. I was trying to get past it, but Pete didn’t really let me get past it. He didn’t really roll with it. I’ve texted Pete to ask him if I can apologize in person.”

“The joke fell flat and I’m sorry,” he added. “My hope was that the night was still enjoyable.”

Nadal was asked about Sampras and Agassi after his Monday night match.

“Everybody told me after the match what’s happened, but during the match, you know how fast Americans speak, and I am Spanish. I didn’t understand nothing,” he said.

He said he felt no tension between them either on or off the court.

A capacity crowd of 16,100 filled the stadium for the Hit for Haiti fundraising exhibition Friday night.

The event helped raise $1 million to aid relief efforts in the earthquake-ravaged island nation.

Who's A Poor Tipper?

Here is a youtube clip of the moment the Hit for Haiti event got a tad awkward last night in Indian Wells between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Sampras starts out by amusingly imitating Andre's pigeon-walk before Agassi comes back with an offside expression of how Sampras is a poor tipper. A small blip on the screen on an otherwise entertaining and extremely humanitarian evening.

Hit For Haiti - Live Streaming

By Mike McIntyre

The second Hit for Haiti charity event is happening tonight in Indian Wells. The tennis kicks off at 7:30pm PST or 10:30pm ET.

You can catch live streaming of the event here for free.

The first match will feature Steffi Graf and Lindsay Davenport against Martina Navratilova and Justine Henin.

The second match has a scary combo of Pete Sampras and Roger Federer against Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal. Something tells me that Pete and Rog could make a very competitive doubles team on the tour today. Something also tells me that the husband/wife duo of Graf and Agassi is going to come up empty in the win column.

Enjoy the tennis and please remember those affected in Haiti as you do so.

Verdasco Defeats Sampras in San Jose

A 38 year old Pete Sampras fell to Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 7-6(2) during an exhibition match on opening night at the SAP Open in San Jose on Monday night.

Feeling his age, the fourteen time Grand Slam champion admitted it was tough to keep up with the 26 year old Verdasco.

"I felt a little old," Sampras said. "I tried. At times it wasn't all that competitive."

For a full report, check out the following article by Janie McCauley of the Associated Press.

Around The Corner

By Mike McIntyre

Now that they've had some time to recover from a fantastic Grand Slam in Australia that saw Roger Federer confirm his dominance in the men's game, many big-name players will make their return to the court. Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic and Nikolay Davydenko are all back in action. Here's a closer look at the three tournaments we have around the corner this week.

SAP Open - San Jose, California

Of the three tournaments this week, the SAP Open has by far the biggest drawing card on day one by showcasing an exhibition match between Fernando Verdasco and fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras. The 38 year old Sampras will face the 12th ranked Verdasco on Monday. Sampras has faired well in the past couple of years with exhibition matches against Roger Federer, Tommy Haas and Andre Agassi.

“When you play a current player that's a really good player like Fernando, it's not going to be easy for me,” admitted Sampras, “I kind of have to get to work here a little bit and hopefully play well. I've seen him playing quite a bit over the last few years, and he's got a big game and he's one of top players in the world. He serves well, huge forehand. It's gonna be a competitive match. That's what I'm hoping for.”

As for the actual tournament itself, look for Andy Roddick, seeded first, to have a successful event. Roddick won the event in 2004, 2005 and 2008. If his shoulder is healed up he is the clear favorite and has already won a title in 2010. Tomas Berdych is the only threat in his section of the draw, and he has dismissed the Czech player once already this year.

Defending champion Radek Stepanek opens the tournament with a tough match against Xavier Malisse, while Taylor Dent and Sam Querrey could possibly face each other in an all-American second round match to look forward to. In the bottom half of the draw veteran Tommy Haas will be someone to watch, along with Verdasco.

One interesting note from the qualifying draw in San Jose was the appearance of American Jan-Michael Gambill who received a wildcard in order to participate. You know your career is in limbo when you require a wildcard to get into the qualies. Gambill won his opening match before falling to Giovanni Lapentti in the second round. His name has surfaced very rarely the past few years on the challenger circuit and at the age of 32 and currently ranked 833rd in the world, I think it's safe to say Gambill's professional career is pretty much done.

ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament - Rotterdam, The Netherlands

With a prize-purse twice the size of the other two events this week, Rotterdam has several quality players represented in the field. The tournament is guaranteed a new champion in 2010, as Andy Murray is not present to attempt to defend his title. The hard-court event features Novak Djokovic as the number one seed and he opens against Sergiy Stakhovsky in the first round.

Gael Monfils and Mikhail Youzhny (the champion in 2007) are also in the top-half of the draw and will challenge Djokovic for a spot in the finals.

In the bottom section Russian Nikolay Davydenko is seeded number two and will look to continue his early season success. After admittedly choking against Federer at the Aussie Open, Davydenko should fare better now that he's playing a smaller level tourney. In the second round he will face the winner of an intriguing opening round match between Marcos Baghdatis and James Blake - both who are unseeded. Interestingly enough, the two have never faced each other before. 

Brasil Open - Costa do Sauipe, Brazil

Brazil hosts the only clay-court tournament this week and is also without its defending champion, as Tommy Robredo has elected to play in Rotterdam instead.

Former French Open champion Juan-Carlos Ferrero is seeded first in the draw and could face-off against Richard Gasquet in the quarter-finals.

Albert Montanes is seeded second while hometown favorite and a finalist here a year ago, Thomaz Bellucci is seeded third.