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Posted on: September 24th, 2007

Sampras edges Courier; exhibition raises $16,000

- petepage

By James Beck
The Post and Courier

Monday, September 24, 2007 - Pete Sampras and Jim Courier didn't quite look like members of the over-the-hill gang Sunday afternoon at the North Charleston Coliseum. They appeared to be as fit as in their prime, and a crowd of about 2,500 showed its appreciation.

Courier, the television analyst, was left talking to himself by a couple of Sampras' running forehands down the line. And then when Sampras cranked up his serve, Courier couldn't talk his way out of trouble.

Grand Slam title record-holder Sampras turned up the heat after dropping a first-set tiebreaker and left town right after the Legends of Tennis match and on-court ceremonies ended with a 6-7 (5), 6-2, 10-6 victory over his longtime buddy.

The real winners of the exhibition, other than the crowd, was the MUSC Children's Hospital that will receive a $16,000 donation — $8,000 from contributions received Sunday and a matching amount from former tennis pro Bill Przybysz's Miracle Match Foundation.

"It's good to have fun ... I still love to play," Sampras told the crowd.

After leaving the ATP Tour following his 2002 U.S. Open success that saw him capture 14 Grand Slam crowns, Sampras left tennis until he came out of retirement to join Courier's Champions Tour earlier this year. "I missed tennis," Sampras said.

"We were playing a good level of tennis," Courier said. "Pete was just serving beautifully the second set."

Sampras dominated the third-set match tiebreaker by winning seven of his eight service points. "Pete has just such great rhythm on his serve," said Courier, 37, whose InsideOut Sports and Entertainment group sponsored the Miracle Match Tour event.

Courier, who won a pair of French Opens and two Australian Opens, appeared to have fun throughout the match as he repeatedly communicated with the audience.

Source: Charleston.net

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