Sure, the Red Sox are World Series champs. And the Patriots are now 11-0. And the Celtics – at 12-1 – might very well be the best team in the NBA.

To be honest, though, for the first time in a while, they weren’t the highlight of my sports world. Rather, one of my childhood idols, Pete Sampras, helped solidify his already stellar place in tennis history by playing World #1 Roger Federer close for two exhibition matches – and then beating him 7-6, 6-4 in the finale of the three match series.

Did I mention that Sampras has been retired for five years? And, that Federer was 65-9 this year with eight titles, including three Grand Slams? This guy has been nothing short of completely dominate the ATP tour this year, and Sampras gave him more than a run for his money, as this video shows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVCqqNBQeQc

Believe it or not, in my youth, I was a lot more into tennis than I was lifting heavy stuff. I spent a lot of hours watching Sampras in Wimbledon and the U.S. Open while I was stringing rackets at the tennis club at which I worked. Were it not for a rotator cuff tear (which, fortunately, led me to this field of specialization), I might still be playing.

Nice job, Pete. Way to win one for us retired guys!

Tags: Sampras, Federer, Cressey, tennis, Red Sox, New England Patriots, Boston Celtics