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LONDON: Pete Sampras has dismissed suggestions
that Roger Federer has gone into decline and backed the Swiss star
to beat his record of 14 Grand Slam titles.
Federer, 27, is one short of that mark but has
had a mixed year, his US Open victory having been offset by the loss
of the Wimbledon and French Open finals and his World No. 1 slot to
Rafael Nadal.
Sampras, however, believes Federer has too much
talent not to continue picking up major titles for some years to
come, insisting: “There’s a lot left in Roger.”
“I think he’d like to get back to number
one and he’s looking forward to breaking my record soon. He can
win as many Wimbledons as he wants—he’s got the game.”
At 22 and with five Grand Slam titles already,
Nadal may yet eclipse both Sampras and Federer’s haul, but Sampras
fears that the Spaniard’s hard-hitting style will take its toll on
his body.
“Rafa puts so much effort into each point
that eventually something will break. There’s a certain grind that
he goes through, unlike Roger who is a lot more fluid and wins
matches a lot easier.”
Sampras, who won his last major title at the
2002 US Open, is now playing on the seniors tour and is in London
for the BlackRock Masters event. 
--AFP
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