Tennis great Pete Sampras came from a set down to beat fellow veteran American Andre Agassi in a friendly encounter, the first meeting between the old foes since 2002.

The compatriots captivated fans in the 1990s and early 2000s with their contrasting styles and personalities. Sampras was known for his serve and crafty volleys while the long-haired neon-wearing Agassi wore down opponents with accurate returns and counter-punching.

The latest chapter of one of the greatest rivalries in the sport’s history did not match the same heights as their previous epic encounters, which included five grand slam finals, as Sampras came through 3-6 6-3 10-8 in just over an hour in Macao.

Agassi edged the first set in under half an hour with a solitary break in the fourth. But Sampras, who beat Roger Federer at the same Venetian Macao venue in an exhibition two years ago, upped his game in the second and took it in 21 minutes to send the match to a decider with also a single break in the third game.

And in the third, a first to 10 championship tie-break, Sampras, who holds a 20-14 record over Agassi, was always ahead and despite a late rally from Agassi, capped the win with an emphatic ace.

The fast indoor surface at The Venetian Macao arena favoured Sampras’ attacking style, but it was Agassi who came out packing more heat in his serve, showing no signs of the troublesome back that required four injections during his final tournament, the 2006 U.S. Open.

Sampras said: “Andre just hits the ball so cleanly even after being retired for three years. The pace of his shots is just very heavy.

“Today he was serving great, I think he even out-aced me. It was a pleasure playing him, he is a great player with a great return of serve.

“I got off to a slow start, Andre was hitting it hard in the warm-up. Whenever I played Andre if I wasn’t on it I was going to lose. Back in the day, I could beat some of the guys when not playing well, but Andre doesn’t give you any room to breathe.”

After claiming his 14th grand slam title with his win over Agassi at Flushing Meadows in 2002, Sampras retired although the 38-year-old played on the ATP seniors tour last year.

Eight-time grand slam winner Agassi, 39, retired in 2006, but made a one-off appearance at a seniors event in Arizona earlier this month, where he lost to fellow American Todd Martin in straight sets in the final.

“It brought back a lot of memories for me. I haven’t been playing a terrible amount but when you see Pete it all comes back to you pretty quickly,” said Agassi.

“It’s nice to be so familiar with someone’s game that you can think of a couple of specific things and concentrate on those and it all came back even with the ace at the end.

“Pete’s hands are the same as they have always been, he has always had a great feeling for the ball. He surprised me how many pick-ups he made, it was like it just came naturally.

“Ball striking has always been my strength, while Pete’s ability to feel the ball on the racquet is unparalleled. It was all obvious tonight, you have to be careful with your choice of shot and he certainly had my full attention.”

The two former No. 1s have 124 career titles and 22 Grand Slams between them — Agassi has eight and Sampras 14. Agassi is one of only six men to have won all four majors and also won Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996. Sampras’ 14 Slams was a record until Federer won Wimbledon this year, bringing the Swiss star’s tally to 15.

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