"He goes, 'Agassi's the greatest returner...and because I can'" - Sampras' ex-coach revisits why 14-time Slam champion served faster against Agassi

Pete Sampras' former coach Paul Annacone recently recalled Pete Sampras' dialogue regarding his "computer-like minded" serve at the 1999 Wimbledon Championships.

Sampras faced off against fellow American Andre Agassi in the 1999 Wimbledon final. Agassi, known for his precise returns, was surprised by Sampras' lightning-fast serves. Sampras went on to beat his opponent 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 to claim his sixth title at the grass-court Major.

Annacone, who coached Sampras during that time, was impressed by the average second-serve speed that his apprentice managed during the match.

In a recent episode of the Rock n Roll Tennis podcast, Annacone recalled the conversation he had with Sampras post-match. He shared how the 14-time Grand Slam champion asserted that he was capable of serving strong and outdoing Agassi's clean return.

"I said it [second-serve speed] was like seven miles an hour [faster] on average and he [Sampras] goes 'Really?' and I go 'Yeah.' I said why is that and he just paused for a second and he goes 'Well two reasons, a few reasons actually, one Andre's the greatest returner out there, so I have to and the second reason is because I can,'" Annacone said. [at 34:10]

Annacone went on to laud Sampras for his strategy-based serves.

"Pete is arguably if not the greatest serve game player, he's one of a handful. He had a really interesting inner computer-like mind about what was needed on his serve which I found pretty amazing," he stated [at 32:50].

Annacone further labeled the final as "one of the best matches" that he ever witnessed on grass.

"It was one of the best matches I've ever seen on grass courts and he [Sampras] beat Andre pretty comfortably in the finals of Wimbledon," he added.

---

Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi faced each other twice at Wimbledon

Agassi (second from left) and Pete Sampras (extreme right) alongside Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe at the 2011 BNP Paribas Showdown

Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi squared off twice at Wimbledon. Before his exceptional performance in 1999, Sampras beat Agassi 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4 in the 1993 Wimbledon quarterfinals. He went on to clinch the title that year, beating Jim Courier in the final.

Overall, Sampras and Agassi locked horns on 34 occasions on the tour. Sampras holds a 20-14 lead over the eight-time Grand Slam champion. The two met each other nine times across Grand Slams, with Sampras winning six of them.

The last meeting between the two marked Pete Sampras' final match of his professional career. He defeated Agassi 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 in the final of the 2002 US Open to claim his 14th Grand Slam title.