London, July 07: Roger Federer, who once beat Pete Sampras at Wimbledon, has no illusions about catching him.
Sampras was 21 when he won the first of his seven Wimbledon men's titles, a modern record. Federer, 21, won his first grand slam championship yesterday at the all England club.
"This is one to his seven," said Federer, whose elegant game has drawn comparisons to Sampras. "I'm so far away, you know. I'm just happy to be on the board."
Long touted as a future grand slam champ, Federer fulfilled expectations by beating Mark Philippoussis 7-6 (7/5) 6-2 7-6 (7/3). Now he's being heralded by John Mcenroe and others as the game's best player.
"I think he may win many more Wimbledons, or even US Opens or other grand slams," three-time Wimbledon winner Boris Becker said. "The future has come."



Seven men have won the past seven major titles, reflecting the tour's balance. That contrasts with the domination of the women's tour by Serena Williams, who beat sister Venus in Saturday's final and has won five of the past six major events.



With Sampras in semiretirement and Andre Agassi 33 years old, the men are in the market for a new star. Federer could be the guy.



Since ending Sampras' 31-match Wimbledon winning streak in 2001, the native of Basel, Switzerland has been praised for his big serve and all-court game. He has a tour-high five tournament titles this year, with wins on clay, hardcourt and grass - a reflection of his versatility.



And now he's a grand slam champion.


Bureau Report