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9/30/11 1:25 PM | Johan Lindahl
Pete Sampras is on his first trip to China for a one-night exhibition with former fellow Grand Slam winner Marat Safin, with the pair of aces squaring off for fans in Beijing prior to the start of next week's China Open.
Safin, who retired two years ago, is making a homecoming of sorts to the capital after winning Beijing in 2004. It's all new to Sampras, who missed out on the gold rush days of the 1990s when tennis was making strong inroads into China and top players first began to become household names in the People's Republic.
The elite pair of former No. 1 players has been well-feted during the brief visit, with gifts including calligraphy scrolls, mascot figurines and wooden sculpted boxes freely offered in a show of hospitality.
With their name recognition now sky-high in China, the stars were in big demand for autographs from Chinese fans who patiently queue outside players hotels at the ATP and WTA events in Beijing and Shanghai as their idols pass on the way from front door to car.
Sampras, who lives in Los Angeles and has dedicated his life to golf and leisure since his retirement nearly a decade ago, said he has mixed feelings about his career.
"I don't miss the stress, I don't miss the travel," he told the China Open website. "I don't miss being the best player in the world, but you miss the big moments in the sport.
"When the Wimbledon final comes around I watch it and certainly there's a part of me that misses it, but you know you get to a point where you move on and you just admire the guys that are playing today."
Sampras and Safin played each other on the ATP for the US open title 11 years ago, with the Russian winning in a huge upset.
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