Pete Sampras's win over Roger Federer in Macau this weekend does nothing to end arguments about who is the greater player - but the American is convinced the world number one will smash his records.
Following two defeats last week in their three-match Asian exhibition series, the retired Sampras came back strongly at Macau's Venetian resort-hotel Saturday, defeating the Swiss maestro in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4.
Sampras, who admitted in a press briefing after the match that he came to Asia hoping to be competitive and to take a set off Federer, is predicting that the 12-time Grand Slam champion will beat his mark of 14 and eclipse his rankings records.
Sampras, 36, held the top ranking for a record 286 weeks in total and finished as world number one for a record six consecutive years. "The major record, he's got so much time. He's 26 and he's got the next four years to be in the pinnacle of his career so I see him breaking that, if not next year, pretty soon," Sampras said.
With Federer finishing four years in a row as number one, Sampras believes it is only a matter of time before the Swiss betters him in that respect as well. "I don't say that lightly. He knows it's a lot of work but I know the game well enough to know he's a class above everyone.
"That being said, these kids are hungry, (Rafael) Nadal and (Novak) Djokovic and (Andy) Roddick. These guys are going to want to push him but I still feel like Roger has an extra gear, especially when it comes to the majors."
Federer, though disappointed at the Macau defeat, will not spend too long mulling over it, already turning his attentions to the 2008 season with another shot at the French Open and the Olympics in Beijing on his radar.
He resumes his Grand Slam chase at the Australian Open in January and then in May the red clay of Roland Garros beckons. A win there would go a long way towards confirming his position as the greatest ever in the eyes of many experts.
It is the lack of a French Open win that is the one glaring omission on Sampras's tennis CV before he retired in 2002. But if Federer is to complete the Grand Slam set, he must overcome clay court nemesis Nadal, who has denied the Swiss in Paris for three years running.
In a press briefing following Saturday's defeat in Macau, Federer said: "I'm happy the season's over now. I've had a lovely week, injury-free. "I can go into vacation and really reflect on the year but also the exhibitions and look forward to next year. It's going to be fantastic so no, I'm not too embarrassed to be honest (to lose to Sampras)."
Federer beat Sampras in straight sets in their first two exhibition matches last week in Seoul and Kuala Lumpur. The world number one can start 2008 with confidence after lifting his fourth Masters Cup title in five consecutive finals this month and winning three Grand Slams in 2007 for the second consecutive year. Federer is currently on 53 titles and with time on his side should eclipse Sampras's haul of 64.
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