Wimbledon, On This Day: When Federer stunned Sampras in 2001

The Hindu

2 days ago

Roger Federer gave a hint of how incredible he was going to be on grass two years before he clinched his maiden Wimbledon title in 2003.
Twenty-four years ago, on this day, the then Swiss teenager stunned seven-time champion Pete Sampras 7-6(7), 5-7, 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5 in the fourth round of the The Championships.
#OnThisDay 2001: a 19 year-old @rogerfederer beat Pete Sampras, one of his childhood heroes, in the 4th round at @Wimbledon. It marked the only time the two legends ever went head to head. Relive this Rolex #Wimbledon Golden Moment. #Perpetualpic.twitter.com/ByFHFI2fvO — ROLEX (@ROLEX) July 2, 2019
Anyone looking at the transitions between tennis eras would see this result as a pivotal moment between the reigns of Pistol Pete and King Roger.
Sampras won his seventh Wimbledon title in 2000, but in a marathon clash 12 months later, he came unstuck against the emerging Swiss.
Sampras had won the four previous editions of the men's singles at Wimbledon but he would never dominate again at the All England Club.
Federer lost in the quarterfinals to Tim Henman, who would then famously be beaten in the last four by eventual champion Goran Ivanisevic. Federer eventually got his hands on the trophy in 2003 and would go on to overhaul Sampras' record.
'Sometimes it was weird. I looked on the other side of the net, I saw him. Sometimes I was like, it's just true that this is happening now, that I'm playing against him. But then it just goes away, this feeling. You think about your serve, where you're going to go, then it's like playing against maybe some other player, you know. But obviously it was something special for me to play Pete,' said Federer after the win.