TENNIS: Sampras sees the past in the present; now, what's the future

Eerie. That's what it was. We all saw the same thing ten years ago that we saw on Sunday.

The booming serve that came from all angles and spins. The groundstrokes that whipped his opponent on the court, yanking him from side to side like a yo-yo. The detached look on the face, belying frustration and joy, yet always seemingly calm, considering the circumstances.

That was Pete Sampras ten years ago. That was what he faced on Sunday.

His name- Marat Safin, and you better learn it. This is a player that for years, others have mentioned his name as being one of the greatest natural talents in the game. Now, on Sunday, the talent was in full bloom.

It was a stunning sight to see; Sampras being dominated in a way that no one, no one, could ever remember. He tried to serve big and Safin passed him. He tried to serve with spin, rush to the net, Safin instead putting the ball at his feet. Passing shots from the forehand side. Passing shots from the backhand side. Topspin lobs that neutralized one of the greatest overheads in the game's history.

The past was relived again. Now is the time to see whether Sampras will become just another name in the history books.

It was the 1981 U.S. Open. Bjorn Borg was beaten by John McEnroe and never was the same again; befuddled and unable to come up with the type of performance needed to beat the younger player. McEnroe in the late-1980s, mixing in tournaments with sabbaticals as he tried to tweak his finesse game to the rapidly burgeoning power that new rackets provided.

That is not to say that Sampras will befall that fate; far from it. Sampras is much more strong mentally than McEnroe in particular. He has been beaten like this before, seen off challenges from Andre Agassi and other players, outlasting them all. This loss didn't seem to shake him, unlike the 1992 Open, where a loss in the final to Stefan Edberg admittedly changed his career.

The last few years have been a struggle physically for Sampras. He has suffered through a litany of injuries from his ankles to his groin to his back. The serve has always bailed him out when at less than one hundred percent. Now, Sampras has met a player who can meet that serve and match him point for point.

This is a crossroads for him. Between Safin, semifinal opponent Lleyton Hewitt, a host of other players like the American Jan-Michael Gambill, Juan Carlos Ferraro, the list goes on, are players that are chomping at the bit for glory. They don't fear Sampras as much as others do.

So where does he go from here? Sampras is at, it seems, the happiest time in his life right now, in love and getting ready to be married to actress/model Bridgette Wilson.

His professional obsession from a few years past has wavered slightly, although the majors still get the blood and competitive juices flowing. But is he willing to commit him physically, to overcome the nagging injuries that have haunted him. Is he willing to work at his clay court game so that he could win the French Open, the one jewel in his crown that remains missing?

An emergence like Safin's has happened before in Sampras' career. Agassi has come and gone a number of times, with Sampras coming out of each battle the stronger. Richard Krajicek beat Sampras at Centre Court, Wimbledon, going on to win the title in an impressive two weeks of tennis he has yet to replicate.

The day after shouldn't be an obituary for Sampras; he still has more to give. The crowning achievement, of all in retrospect these past two weeks, may be how the crowd realized what they had. McEnroe and other players always said "you'll miss me when I'm gone." Fans may now know that Sampras is on the descent of his career's peak and they don't want it to happen.

More than anything, it's time to herald a new challenger. Safin and Sampras has the potential to be a thrilling rivalry, the classic match of an aggressive serve and volley player against the pounding baseliner. Safin still needs to work on his volleys. Safin still needs to work on his temperment. But what Safin needs more than anything is a talk with Sampras. To prepare for the future. To prepare to be a champion.