Sampras vs. Rusedski in Seniors Chengdu, China Final

Pete Sampras will take on Greg Rusedski in the Chengdu final after both players maintained their 100% records in the group stages on Saturday. Sampras dismissed Paradorn Srichaphan 6-3, 6-2 in their first-ever meeting, while Rusedski overcame Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-3, 6-4.

For Sampras and Rusedski, the final represents the renewal of a rivalry that simmered throughout their careers on the ATP World Tour.

"I'm ready and prepared," said Sampras. "I feel like I played pretty well today. Certainly Greg has got a big game and a big lefty serve on this court so he'll be tough to beat. Regardless, I'm looking forward to it."

So is Rusedski.

"I've come here to hopefully win the tournament and I'll do my best," he said. "Pete and I played many times on the main tour and although I only managed to beat him once, we have always had very close matches. He's a great player and it's been a long time since we played, so I'm really looking forward to it."

They played each other 10 times, with Rusedski only winning once, although it was a sizeable victory. In the final of the 1998 Paris Bercy tournament, Rusedski won in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6, 6-3. The most notable of the nine Sampras wins probably came in their 10th and final clash.

In the third round of the US Open, Sampras triumphed 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-4, and then went on to win the title. It was his 14th Grand Slam title, and his final professional tournament.

This will be the first time that they have played each other on the ATP Champions Tour and it will be fascinating to see how the years have influenced their match-up. Both players have been in supreme form, with Sampras not losing a set in all three of his matches, and Rusedski only losing one -- to the No. 1 player in the South African Airways Rankings, Thomas Enqvist.