It’s Sampras in Another Epic Match

The din of the crowd shook the building. The shotmaking was dazzling, the aces blinding. By the time they were through with five sets, Pete Sampras and Boris Becker were down to heart and guts.

And Sampras, who has spent a career playing big matches, knew just how special this one was.

“This is one the best matches I have ever been a part of,” he said Sunday after beating Becker, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (11-13), 6-4, to win the ATP Tour World Championship. “This is what the game is all about. It’s not the money, it’s not all that, it’s the great matches.”

Becker pelted 32 aces in the four-hour match but was unable to retain his title in this season-ending event.

“To be part of such a match is a highlight of my career,” Becker said. “It was so incredibly close, we ran our guts out. At the end he was one shot better. At the end, I didn’t really care who won.”

In winning this tournament for the third time, Sampras indeed played like he was the No. 1 player in the world. He and Becker hugged at the net at the finish. When asked if he had played a more dramatic match, Sampras said, “I don’t think so.”

In nine finals this year, Sampras lost only once--to Becker in Stuttgart one month ago. This victory gave Sampras a tour-high eight titles this year, including the U.S. Open.

It also was one the biggest paydays in tennis, with Sampras collecting $1.34 million and Becker earning $640,000.