| When one talks about the greatest tennis
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| | of outstanding athletic ability. The
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| players of all time, only a handful of
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| | young Sampras discovered a tennis racquet
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| names come to mind. In terms of sheer
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| | in the basement of his home and spent
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| number of championships won, perhaps no
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| | hours hitting balls against the wall. In
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| one is more deserving of the tag "the
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| | 1978, the Sampras family moved to
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| greatest ever" than Pete Sampras.
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| | Pensacola, California and joined the
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| Sampras played professional tennis from
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| | Peninsula Racquet Club, where they played
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| 1988 to 2003 and left an indelible mark
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| | a great deal of tennis together. At the
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| in the history of the game. He won a
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| | age of seven, it did not take long for
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| record 14 Grand Slam men's singles titles
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| | Pete's ability became apparent. Even at
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| and finished the year as No. 1 for a
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| | that early stage, Sampras showed the
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| record six consecutive years, from 1993
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| | beginnings of a solid serve and volley
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| to 1998. When it came to Grand Slam
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| | tactic that would become the hallmark of
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| events, Sampras was always at the top of
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| | his game.
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| his game, winning the men's singles title
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| | Dr. Peter Fisher, a rabid tennis
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| at Wimbledon a record seven times, the US
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| | enthusiast, spotted Sampras on the courts
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| Open five times and the Australian Open
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| | and soon became his mentor, overseeing
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| twice. He also won 11 ATP Masters Series
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| | the boy's training and tapping coaches to
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| titles. The one blemish on his record is
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| | help him reach the next level.
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| that he never won the French Open, which
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| | In 1988, at the age of 17, Sampras had
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| is the lone Grand Slam event that eluded
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| | turned pro. By February 1990, he already
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| the superstar's grasp.
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| | won his first singles tournament and by
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| Overall, Sampras won 64 top-level singles
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| | August that same year, he captured his
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| titles and two doubles titles. He was
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| | first Grand Slam, the US Open. With that
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| ranked the World No. 1 for a record 286
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| | victory, Sampras became the youngest-ever
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| weeks. Aside from his overall court game,
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| | champion of the US Open at the age of 19
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| he is widely regarded to have one of the
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| | years and 28 days. The rest, as they say,
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| best second serves in history.
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| | is history.
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| From an early age, Sampras showed signs
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