WIMBLEDON, England -- Tennis has some zip again.

Wimbledon, like the French Open a month ago, injected new life into the sport when it needed it most.

The All England Club provided the stage for the coronation of a new female champion (Lindsay Davenport), the farewell of an old champ (Steffi Graf) and the emergence of potential future champs (Alexandra Stevenson, Jelena Dokic and Mirjana Lucic).

Wimbledon also confirmed the untouchable grass-court mastery of Pete Sampras, as well as the remarkable renaissance of Andre Agassi, who energizes the men's game like no other player.

''Andre brings out the best in me,'' Sampras said after blasting Agassi in straight sets Sunday for his sixth Wimbledon crown. ''He elevates my game to a level that is phenomenal.''

Phenomenal sums up Sampras' 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 victory, a virtuoso display of serving, volleying and shotmaking that was arguably the best performance ever on Centre Court.

Willie Renshaw is the only man with more Wimbledon titles (seven), and that was back in the 1880s. At 27 years old, Sampras looks certain to surpass that record, as well as the mark for total Grand Slam championships (12), which he now shares with Roy Emerson.

Asked how many more times Sampras can win Wimbledon, Agassi said, ''For the next four years -- as many times as he wants.''

Sampras will be chasing the Grand Slam record two months from now at the U.S. Open, a tournament he has won four times.

''I'd love to do it where it all started for me in 1990,'' he said.

If Sampras is the best player ever to pick up a racket at Wimbledon, there is still debate whether he's the greatest ever, period. Sampras has never won the French Open, or even reached the final of the clay court classic.

By contrast, Sampras' idol, Rod Laver, won the French twice. Bjorn Borg did it six times. And Agassi won the French four weeks ago to become only the fifth man to win all four Grand Slam events.

The French Open is the toughest test in tennis, where baseline play and physical stamina are the key ingredients. Neither is Sampras' strong point.

But on the lawns of Wimbledon, where the rallies are few and the serve-and-volley dominates, Sampras is invincible. He's slightly less omnipotent on the hard courts of Flushing Meadow, where the higher bounce gives players like Agassi a chance.

''I want another shot at him and I want another shot at him this summer,'' Agassi said. ''I want another shot at him in the finals of the U.S. Open.''

Men's tennis suffered in recent years from a shortage of personalities and a lack of a compelling rivalry. Now, with Agassi back at the top after climbing back from No. 141, he could provide Sampras with the foil he needs.

But can they maintain a long-running rivalry matching Borg vs. McEnroe and McEnroe vs. Connors?

''Maybe it's the start,'' Sampras said.
hello there & you too