FanHouse Roger Federer

MACAU (AP) -- Pete Sampras edged by Andre Agassi in three sets on Sunday as the two retired American tennis greats revisited one of the sport's greatest rivalries.

The 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 win in this southern Chinese gambling enclave was the first time the two had played since Sampras won in the 2002 U.S. Open final for his then-record 14th Grand Slam.

The fast indoor surface at The Venetian Macao arena favored Sampras' attacking style, but it was Agassi who came out strong in the first set. He showed no signs of the bad back that required four injections during his final tournament, the 2006 U.S. Open.

HONG KONG (AP) -- Even though the stakes may not be as high as in their epic clashes of the past, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras aren't planning to put on a friendly exhibition.

The two American icons, who staged one of tennis' greatest rivalries, will play each other Sunday in the southern Chinese gambling enclave Macau.

"It's going to be competitive tennis -- obviously not quite as cutthroat as it once was -- but I still feel we can both play quite well," Sampras said Thursday.

"As much as it's an exhibition, there's still a lot of pride. Our egos are pretty big. Once the first point starts, I'm going to want to beat him."

On Monday, Andy Roddick spoke out against the ATP for the lack of a normal tennis offseason. On Tuesday, he retired from the Shanghai Masters with knee pains.

Fast-forward to Thursday, the injury count at Shanghai has grown to seven after just four days of play. The latest additions are Gael Monfils of France and Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland, who retired from their matches earlier today.

The Shanghai injury list includes reigning U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, Tommy Haas, Jose Acasuso and Mischa Zverev. Not included are Roger Federer (fatigue) and Andy Murray (wrist), who opted out of the tournament before it began to recuperate.

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SHANGHAI (AP) -- Reigning U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro retired from the Shanghai Masters with a wrist injury Wednesday, adding to the mounting injury toll at the event.

The third-seeded Argentine was trailing Austria's Jurgen Melzer 7-5, 2-1 in his second-round match when he retired with an injury to his right wrist.

Del Potro said that he suffered from similar wrist tendinitis earlier this year.

There are a lot of professional athletes these days who try their luck in Hollywood -- as an actor, fashion designer or other form of entertainer outside the realm of sports. After seeing his attempted freestyle improvisation of 'We are the Swiss', Roger Federer should quickly abandon any hopes of becoming tennis' next John Riggins and really focus on tennis.

Federer -- the No. 1 men's tennis player in the world -- was gathered at a celebration with the Swiss Davis Cup team and members of the French media when he was encouraged to break out in song. It is fair to say, hilarity ensues.

Check out the video after the jump.

TOKYO (AP) -- Roger Federer pulled out of the Japan Open and Shanghai ATP Masters 1000 on Friday, citing the need to rest after a physically challenging year.

The Japan Tennis Association said that the top-ranked Federer was withdrawing from the Oct. 5-11 Japan Open, along with the Shanghai tournament the following week.

"After consultation with my team and doctors, I decided to take the difficult decision to withdraw from both tournaments," Federer said in a statement. "This will allow me a chance to give my body a chance to rest, rehabilitate and recover from a physically challenging year."

GENEVA (AP) -- Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal could face each other in the first round of next year's Davis Cup after Spain drew Switzerland on Wednesday.

Federer and Nadal, the top two players, have never met in the Davis Cup.

"We have to accept how the draw is. We'll try to beat them in Spain," Switzerland captain Severin Luthi said. "For sure that's one of the toughest draws we can have."

GENOA, Italy (AP) -- Roger Federer gave Switzerland a spot in next year's Davis Cup world group by beating Potito Starace for an insurmountable 3-1 lead Sunday against Italy.

The top-ranked Federer kept his focus through a two-hour rain delay before completing a 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 win to clinch the best-of-five playoff series.

Federer defeated Simone Bolelli in his opening singles Friday and posted two points for Switzerland less than a week after his five-set loss to Juan Martin del Potro in the U.S. Open final.

GENOA, Italy (AP) -- Coming off a five-set loss in the U.S. Open final, Roger Federer will play every day when Switzerland faces Italy in the Davis Cup playoffs.

The top-ranked Federer, who reached all four Grand Slam finals this year, believes his form can hold up after losing to Juan Martin del Potro in New York on Monday.

"I've had to do this before once after the Australian Open. I went to play Romania on clay and I was able to win all three points," Federer said, recalling his performance in Switzerland's 3-2 win in the first round of the 2004 World Group. "I'm hoping I can do it again."

He was shrinking into someone else, wilting and cracking and melting down. Try as he did, he couldn't generate sufficient torque and let his first serve turn wilder than a podunk mayor throwing out a first pitch. He lost tiebreakers, which rarely happens, and he committed 15 unforced errors in the fifth set to merely four for a 20-year-old foe in his maiden Grand Slam final experience. Worse still, Roger Federer did something unbefitting a dignified, placid champion who speaks elegantly, wears stylish sweaters and counts Vogue editor Anna Wintour among his friends.

A gentleman lost his famed equlibrium, crashing for the shocked masses to see after Juan Martin del Potro challenged a shot via the electronic line-calling system -- which, by the way, Federer loathes. "No, no, no. I wasn't allowed to challenge after two seconds. The guy takes, like, 10. Every time. You can't allow that stuff to happen. Do you have any rules in there, or what?" he barked at chair unpire Jake Garner. When he was basically told to shut up, Federer responed with the latest obscenity in an expletive-filled tournament that should have been called the U.S. Bleeping Open.