Safin vs. Sampras, Safin Prevails again

Safin beat Sampras, 6-4, 3-6 (10-6) in the "Millennium Challenge," an exhibition match on the opening day of the Los Angeles Tennis Open at UCLA's Los Angeles Tennis Center on Monday.

It was a rematch of the 2000 U.S. Open final, where Safin beat Sampras, the L.A. Open tournament honoree, to earn the first of his two Grand Slam titles.

Pete Sampras can still serve more than 120 miles per hour and challenges calls as if they mattered, but in the end, as in 2000, Marat Safin prevailed.

"We're kind of looking backwards, and it's really a warm feeling when [you have] an achievement like beating Sampras in the final of U.S. Open," said Safin.

The Russian also won the doubles first round with Igor Kunitsyn agianst Marcus Baghdatis and Dudi Sela, 6-7, 6-2, 11-9.

Marat is scheduled to play Ginepri in the evening session on Tuesday 28th.