Past and future on display at U.S. Open

The future of tennis and perhaps one last glimpse of its glorious past marked a U.S. Open where Serena Williams and Pete Sampras captured the season's final grand slams.

They also left New Yorkers with a patriotic feel good weekend ahead of the September 11 anniversary.

With the "Heroes flag" rescued from the rubble of the World Trade Center fluttering above the Arthur Ashe stadium court throughout an emotional fortnight, Americans competing at Flushing Meadows said they found inspiration in the resiliency of New Yorkers who flocked to the event in record numbers.

None was more motivated than the ageing Sampras, who defied the odds, fatigue and an army of critics to claim an unprecedented 14th career grand slam title with a stirring 6-3 6-4 5-7 6-4 win over Andre Agassi. He then hinted that this -- his most unlikely victory -- could be the storybook ending to a brilliant career.

A day earlier on the same court, under floodlights and watched by a primetime television audience, it was Serena Williams who stole the spotlight. Dressed in her U.S. Open evening wear -- an eye-popping skin-tight black lycra catsuit -- she swept past big sister Venus 6-4 6-3, adding the title to her Wimbledon and French Open crowns.

SERENA SLAM

Such was the manner of her victory that talk of a "Sister slam" was suddenly replaced by predictions of a "Serena slam" with the younger Williams confirming her status as the dominant player in the women's game.

From the opening ceremony, "Salute to Heroes", there seemed little doubt Serena and twice defending champion Venus, who had contested three of the previous four slams finals, would be wrestling for another at Flushing Meadows.

But few could have penned a script that would have had Andre Agassi, the evergreen Las Vegas showman, confronting his eternal rival Pete Sampras, the grand slam record holder, in the men's final.

The scenario, seemed one of pure sport fantasy, a battle of 30-somethings -- 31-year-old Sampras against 32-year-old Agassi, 17th seed against sixth seed. Agassi, now a father, waging war against Sampras, a father to be.

But it was the Sampras part of the U.S. Open equation that seemed the most far-fetched. The man widely regarded as the greatest ever to swing a racket, slumped into Flushing Meadows his confidence shaken, his ranking sinking and mired in an anguishing title drought that had extended back 33 tournaments and two years to the 2000 Wimbledon.

Sampras demonstrated against Agassi, who toppled defending champion and world number one Lleyton Hewitt in the semifinals, that he still possesses the weapons -- a devastating serve and punishing serve and volley game -- that allow him to win at the highest level.

STORYBOOK ENDING

He still has the desire to compete but he is also about to become a father and grown weary of the critics and those relentlessly pushing him towards the exit.

Sampras arrived at the U.S. Open with one stated goal and that was to leave the sport he dominated on his own terms, to go out on top by winning one more major.

"I'm going to have to weigh it up over the next couple months to see where I'm at," said Sampras. "I still want to play, I love to play.

"But to beat a rival like Andre in a major tournament at the U.S. Open...a storybook ending, it might be a nice way to stop.

"But I still want to compete. I'll see where I'm at in the next couple of months, where my hearts at and my mind.

"I feel like all the hard work has paid off. All the adversity this year, I got through it and that means more to me than anything.

"I really don't know where I'm going to go from here.

"I'm going to take some time to enjoy this and reflect a bit."

Serena Williams rampaged through the women's draw without dropping a set then issued an ominous warning, insisting she still has a lot to do before she perfects her game.

"I'm a bit more mature and I'm more relaxed," said Serena. "I'm a better player -- obviously. I just have more fun with what I do. I'm not as stressed out there as I used to be.

"I'm a perfectionist. I'm pretty much insatiable. I feel there's so many things I can improve on. I love to win, I love the battle."