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“In baseball you’re a really good hitter if you hit .300. Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi are retired professional men's tennis players who were both ranked World No. That doesn't happen often," said Pete Sampras.Andre Agassi, foreground, fell to Pete Sampras in a draining match. “But when they say you can’t play serve-and-volley in today’s era, I think that’s a lot of malarkey. But enough to send a message about the breaks and basics of the game that few of his countrymen apparently wanted to hear. Two proud Yanks took center stage in a showcase of contrast that tennis is now sadly without.All day, there was a buzz about the Open, anticipation for a match between players who had won a combined 20 major titles — the most to that date in a Grand Slam men’s match since Roy Emerson and Rod Laver, holders of 22, played in the 1969 Open quarterfinals.A young American named Andy Roddick said he would get in an afternoon hit and retreat to his hotel room to watch the match. With contrasting styles and temperaments, they played each other 34 times from 1989 through 2002, with Sampras winning 20 matches. “That doesn’t often happen.”Under breezy conditions, Sampras reminded everyone of what usually happened when the great serve-and-volley player brought his A game to a match against the classic counterpuncher. But it was disparate playing styles that defined their careers relative to the list of all-timers.“Two great players playing great at the same time,” Sampras said, recalling the match in a recent telephone interview. Sampras didn’t, losing in the final to Hewitt, but he came back the next year to beat Agassi in the final for his 14th career major, again in four sets. Agassi's birthday is April 29, 1970, while Sampras's is August 12, 1971. If they both play well, do their thing, Pete is the pitcher and Andre is the catcher, who has to react. Sampras and Agassi played one of the US Open's—and tennis'—greatest matches ever in the 2001 quarterfinals under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium. It’s a progression. Nadal, In retirement, Agassi and Sampras have found bonds to continue their friendship on a deeper level.Agassi and Sampras were born fifteen and a half months apart. US Open Classics: Pete Sampras vs. Andre Agassi, 2001 men's singles quarterfinals. (W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (P) postponed; (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; (G) gold, (F-S) silver or (SF-B) bronze Olympic medal; a (NMS) downgraded Masters Series/1000 tournament; (NH) not held. If his first serve was not enough of a weapon, his second was a well-disguised mix of power, placement, guile and guts.If there is going to be another Sampras, he had better have great athleticism to match his grand ambition.“What I always try to explain to my friends who don’t know tennis that well is that it’s a lot like pitching and hitting,” Annacone said. It makes sense that the guy with the ball in his hand would have the advantage.”Not by much on that memorable quarterfinal night in 2001. The match featured no breaks of serve, with Sampras edging Agassi, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5). US Open 2001 Singolare maschile Sport Tennis: Vincitore Lleyton Hewitt: Finalista Pete Sampras: Punteggio 7-6(4), 6-1, 6-1 Tornei Singolare uomini: donne 1 during the 1990s, Sampras holding the world's top-rank spot for a then-record 286 weeks while Agassi held it for 101 weeks. It takes a willingness to sacrifice matches in the juniors that parents don’t want to make. I look at Nadal standing 10 feet behind the baseline, and as great as he is getting to balls, I’d take my chances kicking him out wide and coming in behind it.”Alas, Sampras is resigned to serve-and-volley being “pretty much extinct, basically gone,” along with the opportunity for young Americans to play to their fast hardcourt strength and create their own tour niche.In his 2001 match against Agassi, one of the game’s greatest returners, the acrobatic Sampras went to the net behind not only his first serve, but also his second. At the time of their retirements, Sampras held the Agassi also held the record for most ATP Masters Series (AMS) shields (since 1990) with 17.