Mon Mar 10 13:53:44 2008

Comment | Email | Print

Federer, Sampras set for MSG exhibition

---

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Current world No. 1 star Roger Federer and former great Pete Sampras will meet for another exhibition tennis match, this time at a sold-out Madison Square Garden on Monday night. This will mark the first men's professional tennis match at the Garden in 12 years.

Federer and Sampras will square off in a best-of-three-set hardcourt affair.

The 26-year-old Federer and 36-year-old Sampras played a three-city exhibition series in Asia back in November, as the mighty Swiss won the first two encounters before the legendary American came out on top in the third and final bout.

The only time that Federer and Sampras met on the ATP, the Swiss prevailed in five sets in the fourth round at Wimbledon back in 2001, the year after Sampras captured his last Wimbledon crown. Sampras is a seven-time Wimbledon champion, while Federer is the reigning five-time titlist at the sport's most prestigious event. Only Federer and Bjorn Borg have won five straight Wimbledon titles in the Open Era (since 1968).

The six-time year-end No. 1 Sampras is the all-time men's leader with 14 Grand Slam championships, while the four-time year-end No. 1 Federer is at 12 and counting. Federer would break Sampras' record this year if he can title at the French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open.

Federer was an opening-round loser against surging Brit Andy Murray last week in Dubai. And word emerged last week that the super Swiss has been slowed since last month by mononucleosis, an energy-draining infection that is caused by a virus.