Was it an off-day for Sampras or is his grip at the top of the tennis world slipping?

Following his 6-4 6-3 6-3 defeat in the US Open men's final, Sampras said he believed Safin was the future of tennis.

He showered the 20-year-old Russian with praise saying: "The way he played today, he can be number one for many, many years. He can be really dominant because of his power."

Do you think Safin is the future of tennis? Will Sampras ever win another Grand Slam title or is he over the hill?

Tell us what you think.

I believe Sampras is still one of the best but young players like Safin, Hewitt, Kiefer and Norman are going to make it tough for him in his last two or three years.
Philip Ross, Germany, Hamburg

When Pete Sampras won his seventh Wimbledon everyone said he was the greatest. He loses one match against a very good and up and coming youngster and now they say he is over the hill. Having been in the top for ten years in an extremely tough sport, his powers will begin to wane at some stage but one defeat doesn't mean the end. Come next Wimbeldon, you'll find that all the other 127 entrants in the men's singles will be saying that Pete is still the man to beat.
Mike Swann, England

The great thing about champions is that they don't often lose to the same player two or three times in a row. My bet is that Sampras will take the year-end ATP championships in Germany by beating his younger rivals. He still has the best serve in the game and he will be pumped to prove to those who count him out. Just remember Edberg in the 1993 US Open where he beat Krajicek, Ferreira, Chang and Lendl in five sets, and Sampras in the final to surprise those who thought he was old.
Tamer, UK

Safin played a great match, almost faultless and deserves the credit. But a loss in the final does not mean an end to an era. I do believe that Sampras has at least two more good years of tennis left in him and if he is able to stand out against the fitness issues, he will be able to take the tally for majors up to 15. It has to be remembered that Sampras is at his best on grass; his titles in Wimbledon is proof of that.
Jahid Chowdhury, Bangladesh

Just because the greatest player of all times loses one match badly for the first time, why does that mean he's slipping? Safin just played faultless tennis - in the zone! He deserves credit for it but that doesn't take it away from Pete and mean he's slipping. Let's wait and see how many Safin wins?? Don't hold your breath! You can't make it with only talent and hard work you also need mental strength.
Lisa Massiah, Barbados

I would think the toughest thing for Pete Sampras is finding the motivation to keep playing tennis, especially a sport that requires so much work physically and mentally. He has been playing tennis for more than a decade, and winning so many Grand Slams. He must be very tired of winning, and maybe losing in the U.S. Open final will give him some extra motivation.
Joanna Wong, USA

I am a Sampras supporter, but why can't we actually give Safin some credit for playing a faultless match and forcing Sampras to play badly, rather than assuming Sampras just had an off day.
Jason, England

Pete most probably had a bad day. One match is not enough to decide this issue. Lets see what happens in the other games to come.
Conrad Banini, USA

All good things have to come to an end someday. But the game needs new talent and it certainly doesn't mean the end for Pete, but I don't see Pete being a threat anymore on slower surfaces. Marat is great for the game, let's hope that he sticks around longer than Mancini did who in my opinion was the hardest hitter I've ever seen along with Agassi and Becker.
Partha, India

Pistol Pete is always great. It is very difficult for someone to brake Pete's record in this modern world. There are many younger players entering grand slam matches every year. They work very hard to win the championship. If Pete wants to win a championship, he has to work very hard. I think he can do it and he will do it. Because he's pistol Pete!
Selva, USA

Once in a while we see the spirit that Safin showed. He was like a small kid who just was out to see what the world was going to offer. He was so cool with so little mental pressures it was amazing. His response to the question "How did you return so well" says it all. He said, "You think I know? I don't know."
Vasu Venkat, India

Sampras has accomplished what many other tennis players dream of: being the best there is. Sampras has had his share of fame and now he should step down as a all time great and pass the tourch on to younger players.He will always be remembered as the legendary pistol Pete.
Ronnie, India

I think that we are trying to read too much into one match. I watched the final and agree that Safin is certainly the player to watch for the future. He played wonderfully well and deserves all the credit. While Pete may lack some motivation nowadays, he is still the best whenever he steps on court and probably will be for another 1-2 years. If somebody who is now No.1 in the ATP Champions leagues race is counted as over the hill the other guys are in the depths of the Grand Canyon.
Swapnesh Banerjee, United States

Like many of his previous Grand Slams, Sampras faced no real opposition on his route to the Final. Agassi, Kafelnikov and Henman all went out from his half of the draw, leaving a relatively easy passage through. This time however he met someone who wasn't afraid of the 'Big Occasion' and Pete never got going. It was a great day for Tennis but you write off Sampras at your peril
Rod Cullen, UK

The tough part for Sampras is to work up the motivation to go out and win. A Safin or Hewitt at this stage of their careers can put everything into these matches. But Sampras has been there so many times, how often can he reach into himself and put in the same level of energy as the young ones? Every day there is another contender to the throne, another player who wants to notch his gun with Sampras. It must get tiring...
Anand, India

Pete might have already reached the pinnacle of his career, but to describe a man who is the reigning Wimbledon champion and just lost the final of the US open as being over the hill is preposterous! He had an off day, while Safin played the greatest match of his career to date. I wouldn't bet against Sampras finishing the year at #1, AGAIN!
Stuart, Italy

One off day after a tough semi does not mean the end of Pete Sampras. His unforced errors say it all.
Jim Marianski, USA

Safin did everything right on the day. He controlled his emotions and managed to maintain focus even after creating a lead (something he struggled to do against Martin). Tactically he got it right by picking on the Sampras backhand (generally slightly weaker but which was way off yesterday) and by finding the right blend of power and control. Safin still has to prove he can keep up that level of play. As for Sampras, he's too good a player to be counted out, but the overwhelming manner of his defeat will cause him concern.
Wes, Scotland

Safin played a match in a million and congratulations to him, but to suggest Sampras is over the hill is absurd. I don't agree with Sampras, however, that Safin is the future of tennis - he can be terrible on court, and he's yet to prove himself on all surfaces. On the day he was better than Sampras, for whatever reason, and deserved his win. But that's all it was. Perhaps we can ask this question again in another 6 months and see who has done better? My money is on Sampras. Let's not get too carried away with this result.
Stephen, UK, UK

If losing in straight sets in the Final of the US Open means you're over the hill, what does that make Tim Henman?
Trev , UK

Come on. Pete is on the downside of his career, but I would not exactly count him out. One match certainly is not enough to make such a judgement. Great players can always show the magic, just not as frequently when they get older. Take your hat off to Safin - he played a great match. Hopefully he can keep it up. The more great players there are in the game of tennis, the richer we fans are for it.
Paul, USA