Roger Federer’s Wimbledon Upset Over Pete Sampras – 25 Years Ago

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

Could it it really have been 25 years ago?

Wimbledon has had it fair share of seismic matches and one of the biggest was Roger Federer’s “arrival” on the top of the pro tennis scene with his fourth round defeat of seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras. It is the match that ignited the Federer career that will be celebrated in August at his induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

The following is the except from my book “On This Day In Roger Federer History” that outlines the hallmark day of July 2, 2001.  The book, which features daily anniversaries and anecdotes of the career and life of Roger Federer, is for sale and download here: https://a.co/d/0iyiqk2S

July 2, 2001: Nineteen-year-old Roger Federer registers a stunning 7-6(7), 5-7, 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5 Centre Court upset of seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras in the round of 16 at Wimbledon, ending the 31-match winning streak at the All England Club for Sampras as well as his quest for a record-tying fifth straight title. Federer calls the match “the biggest win of my life” adding, “This match will give me as much confidence as I can get.” Federer, playing on Centre Court for the first time in his career, says that winning the first set after fighting off a set-point against him was a key to the match. “I had the feeling that I really can beat him,” he says. “I had that feeling all the way. That’s probably why I won.” Says Sampras of Federer, “I lost to a really, really good player. He played great. He came up with some really good stuff at huge times.”

Steve Flink also addressed this famous match in his authoritative book on the Sampras career specifically his 14 major singles titles called “Pete Sampras Greatness Revisited,” which is for sale and download here https://a.co/d/04fQb9bm

Flink’s comments on the match, as excerpted from his “Greatness Revisited” book is seen below.

The poise of the 19-year-old was extraordinary. In the days when the grass was playing faster, the young Federer served and volleyed regularly and his play at the net was remarkably good. The Swiss attacked persistently, serving and volleying no fewer than 109 times, winning 75 of those points. He was a different player in those days, more a product of that particular time. The quicker courts were abundant worldwide. And Federer was very comfortable coming in and taking command at the net.

Sampras, however, had his chances. At set point in the first set tie-break, he got a questionable call on a Federer first serve that was called in. Sampras passionately believed it was out. Anguished by that misfortune, Sampras let the umpire know of his disagreement, but there was no Hawkeye back then. A challenge was out of the question. After winning the second set, Sampras bungled one of his normally trustworthy leaping overheads at 4-4, 40-30 in the third set and soon thereafter lost his serve and the set. And in the fifth and final set, he had 15-40 on the Federer serve at 4-4 but could not convert.