With Pete Sampras set to announce his retirement on Monday, tales of the exploits of the 14-time grand slam champ abound. Our own James Buddell recalls a certain Wimbledon final he witnessed in 1999.
Eurosport - August 22, 2003
Nobody enjoyed their strawberries and cream at Wimbledon in 1999, rain dampened much of the second week and Sir Cliff Richard found himself limbering up to sing on Centre Court as a backlog of matches mounted. Not what the ticket-paying public expected.
But all was forgotten on the final Sunday.
Steffi Graf, playing in her last Wimbledon, was in the final where she bowed to Lindsay Davenport.
And then came Pete.
In an all-American final on Independence Day, the 4th of July, long-time rival Andre Agassi squared up to the man bidding to equal Roy Emerson's record of 12 Grand Slam wins.
The match shaped the best serve-volley player in the game against the best returner in a classic contest. And Sampras was at his ruthless best, dominating in all phases.
Agassi was looking for his second Wimbledon crown and waved to his many fans. Meanwhile, stone-faced Sampras was on a mission: he had entered the 'zone'.
After a slow start Sampras looked to be shaking, serving at 0-40 in the seventh game of the first. But erased them all with five big serves in a row. Wow.
Three-games-all became a set and a decisive two-love lead. The match was already beyond the Vegas Kid's grasp and the crowd were in awe.
Despite a late burst of energy in the third set, Agassi succombed as Sampras fired down ace number 16 and 17, closing out the match for a historic 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 victory.
Remember that Agassi was the French Open champion coming off 13 straight wins. No one believed that Sampras could raise his game to such a level.
But Agassi knew it. It was he who broke the tension on Centre Court when he jokingly simulated stealing Sampras' trophy during the lap of honour.
At the age of 27, the California native had become the first player in the 'open' era to win six Wimbledon titles and realised time was on his side to equal William Renshaw's record of seven crowns, attained in the 1880s.
Crowds at Wimbledon adopted the American as early as his first win back in 1993, but it was that victory over Agassi that sealed his place in British hearts.