Pete Sampras proved his critics wrong as he won his fifth US Open and 14th Grand Slam title in all with a four-set win over Andre Agassi.

The all-time great had looked close to retirement just two months ago when he lost to lucky loser George Bastl on his beloved Wimbledon courts.

But Sampras was a different man in New York and saved some of his best tennis for the 6-3 6-4 5-7 6-4 triumph over fellow thirtysomething Agassi.

Sampras was at his very best - as good as his mid-90s hey day - as he raced into a two-set lead with an immaculate serving display.

But almost inevitably the intensity from Sampras had to drop and as he tired, Agassi found his returns as he clawed his way back by winning the third set.

A tense fourth followed and after surviving on his own serve by the skin of his teeth, Sampras gained the key break in the ninth game and served out to complete one of the major stories in the sport in recent times.

Few people had given Sampras a chance at the start of the tournament - he had not won a title of any sort for more than two years - and he was also an outsider with the bookmakers for the final.

But Sampras' service - which had not been lost in his previous three matches - looked in good shape from the start.

He was clearly the sharper player as he also proved he could rally from the baseline with Agassi, the older man by a year at 32.

And when the Las Vegas kid sent a shot wide on break point at 3-4, Sampras was left serving for the set.

It was a tense game which see-sawed to and fro.

Sampras squandered two set points as volley errors crept in and all of a sudden Agassi had a chance to break back.

But Sampras saved break pont with a second-serve ace - his 12th of the set - and then made no mistake on the volley when presented with a third set point.

The 17th seed was flying and continued that form at the start of the second set.

He got stuck into the Agassi serve in the opening game, outrallying him from the back of the court and breaking to 15.

With his forehand providing a cutting edge, Pistol Pete was threatening to run away with the match when he secured a double break.

It turned out Sampras needed that second break as in the eighth game he dropped his serve for the first time since his third-round match against Greg Rusedski.

Still, a game later Sampras had his second opportunity to serve out the set.

And this time there were no mistakes. Sampras concluded another love game with his 16th ace down the centre to leave Agassi with a mountain to climb. They had been playing just 63 minutes.

Agassi was just about clinging on to his own serve at the start of the third set as the score moved on to 3-2 in his favour.

Agassi must have seen light at the end of the tunnel in the sixth game when, with the aid of some great returns, three times he moved to break point - the first of the set.

But each time Sampras slammed the door shut with a big serve, twice coming up with aces - he was to serve 33 in all - just like he had done at Wimbledon in his pomp.

Agassi managed to keep his nose in front as the set continued on serve to 5-6.

With his returns now finding their target down near the feet of Sampras, Agassi saw another chink of light in the 12th game.

And this time he forced the door open. Sampras' serve deserted him to the advantage court and when a double fault was followed by a volley into the net, Agassi had taken the set 7-5 and kept the match very much alive.

The two-time champion had wrestled the momentum from Sampras and a love service hold in the opening game of set four emphasised that.

Sampras had struggled on serve for the first time at the end of that third set so a love game of his own was important as he levelled at 1-1.

The aces had pretty much disappeared from the Sampras racquet - double faults were now more regular - but he dug deep in the fourth game, which contained seven deuces and two Agassi break chances, to hold for 2-2.

Break points were now a feature of virtually every game and it was surely only a matter of time before someone grabbed a break.

And finally in the ninth game someone did crack - and it was Agassi.

On his third break point Sampras watched Agassi dump the ball into the net and the four-time winner was left serving for a fifth US title.

And he held his nerve superbly.

A backhand volley clinched a 6-3 6-4 5-7 6-4 victory and a fifth US title that few had thought even remotely possible.