Pete Samprass to Roger Federer, the greatest transition in Tennis history
It was not long ago that people were arguing, if the American, who defied all in the game of tennis through his bombarding serve and surgically accurate volleys, was the best player of all time. Pete Samprass, in his career, won an amazing 14 grand slam titles, a feat people thought would be unbeaten through time. His game was all but what one would call perfect. Winning 7 Wimbledon titles, he had made a record which was anything but ridiculously impossible to break.
The critics had almost nothing to say and with only the French open title eluding the great American, everyone was sure that he is the greatest to hold the tennis racket in his hand.
But then came his match against a young Swiss, who people with an intelligent eye had noticed to be a bright prospect in the future of tennis. The American had no idea that this match was not just a game of tennis but a dethroning of a king, who in subtle words handed over his throne to a young conqueror. Roger Federer was probably playing the match just to shake hands in the end with the great American but when the game started it was a different story all together.
At one hand we had class, experience and the confidence of a seasoned campaigner and on the other we had the exuberance of youth, way more class (though raw) and the attitude of a champion. In five grueling sets of excellent serving and impeccable volleying, the young Swiss won, what was to be one of the most famous victories in the world of tennis.
Samprass lost at Wimbledon after winning consecutively at the venue for the last four years, which, when one combines with the three he won previously made it seven Wimbledon titles, more than any in the history of the world. Federer beating him was not just another upset but a passing of the crown as everyone who had the slightest clue about tennis, could see the raw talent and class in Federer.
Racket in Federers hand was like a magic wand with which he could do anything with the tennis ball. As he developed through time, he showed it to the world that wht he can do, one cannot teach others to do the same. Samprass won only one more major, the US open in 2002 (pointed out by one of our readers) after losing that match to Federer cementing the fact that he had succumbed to greatness and knew that his time as champion is soon coming to an end. As a great champion would do he retired at his peak, but not before giving the world another champion, someone who would make his records look like a small thing in front of his gigantic efforts, someone who would remove all doubts from the world as to who the best player to live was, someone who would be considered in human by many, winning not only on quicker surfaces but conquering the highest laurels on clay as well, a feat which always eluded the great Samprass.
Someone, who would be known forever as the greatest Federer.
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