He was the undisputed king of men's tennis in the 1990's, but Sampras hasn't won a grand slam title since Wimbledon in 2000. Come to that, he hasn't won any title since that time. That is a sure sign of his sliding form.
The once seemingly unstoppable serve of Sampras is now vulnerable, with returners like Marat Safin even managing winners off the first serve. In the past only Andre Agassi could do that, and only using an enormous amount of skill. Pete's backhand is no longer as dependable as it was, often breaking down under pressure.
And the Sampras running forehand, once the best shot in men's tennis; is now more often than not missing its mark. It was surely a sign of how men's tennis has moved on when Marat Safin struck a number of running winners returning this shot. In the past an opponent was lucky to get his racquet on it.
Lastly Sampras has definitely lost a step or two over the last few years in his court coverage. The fact is that men's tennis is an extremely physical game, and it is rare that a player aged over 30 can consistently stand up to that test. A notable exception was Jimmy Connors, who through extraordinary conditioning was able to remain a contender at grand slam events into his mid 30's.
Sampras may yet prove me mistaken, and make another great run at Wimbledon; his old stomping ground. With the dearth of great men's grass-court players nowadays, it's certainly possible. But the question remains as to whether he has mentally lost the confidence of near-invincibility he once had, realising he is nearing the end of his career and that his body is failing him. This year could well be Sampras' last stand.
Honourable mention must go to Swede Thomas Johansson, who at 27 years of age won his first grand slam at the Australian Open. He is the first Swede to win a grand slam event since Stefan Edberg won the US Open in 1992. Johansson beat Safin in the final by 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (4).
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