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Still hanging around Old guard not ready to let young guns go
To some people, the fact that Brazil's Gustavo Kuerten and Russia's Marat Safin were the two players duking it out for the year's top ranking in 2000 signaled a changing of the guard in the men's tennis. With youth on their side, and 12 titles between them (five for Kuerten, including the French Open, and seven for Safin, who took the U.S. Open title) the dynamic duo are without doubt at the vanguard of a youth movement Granted, their predecessors were there or thereabouts in the rankings -- Pete Sampras ended the year at No. 3 after taking two tournament titles, including a record breaking 13th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. And Andre Agassi finished at No. 6, having claimed his only title of the year at the Aussie Open. But the feeling still persisted that perhaps we'd seen the last of these two great champions as a dominant force.
Will the new breed rubber-stamp their arrival? Or was last year a false start for the newcomers, a mere hiccup in the trophy trail for the senior citizens?
My feeling is that while the long-term future belongs to the young, we haven't seen the last of the old guard just yet, Pete Sampras in particular. After 12 years on the tour, last year was something of a new experience for Pistol Pete. Plagued by injuries to his back, his hip and his shin, obsessed by the desire to surpass Roy Emerson 's record for Grand Slam titles, and pleasantly distracted by the thought of his upcoming wedding, Pete had so many other issues to concentrate on than the routine business of winning tennis matches, that it's no surprise he occasionally lacked his usual focus. Even then he amassed an impressive winning record of 42-13, and might have managed two grand slams but for an aberration in the U.S. Open final against Safin.
That was then and this is now, however. And in every department Pete will enter the Aussie Open in much better shape. Physically, at the time of writing, he's fit. He's enshrined as the all-time great, after claiming the Grand Slam record. And his marriage, which he took time off to appreciate, appears to have made him a more contented individual. All of which could be very dangerous for the other contenders in Melbourne, I'd suggest. Because, while the pressure has dissipated quickly, the talent no doubt has not. And a relaxed Pete Sampras, who'll clearly have the edge in experience, can still be a match for anyone, provided he can focus. Will it be another Sampras/Agassi classic in the Aussie Open final? Well, I'm not prepared to go that far. But with Andre having finished a year of mixed fortunes on a positive note with a runner-up spot at the Masters Series, his recent claim that he can be better this year than last may not be an idle boast. And if his desire is still there, he's the kind of player that knows how to come through in the clutch. Of course, as with any prediction, one is cruising for a bruising, with even red-hot favorites capable of leaving the predictor with egg on his face. However, you've got to have the courage of your convictions, and my view is that the youngsters will not have it all their own way Down Under, and Pete Sampras will end the month as the master of Melbourne. Terry Baddoo is co-host of World Sport, the international sports show that airs live on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International.
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