London, Dec.

London  - Pete Sampras didn't manage to reach the weekend final of the BlackRock Masters. But the American's first return to London in six years still provoked a wave of pleasant nostalgia for the seven-time Wimbledon winner.

Sampras fell 7-6 (10-7), 7-6 (10-5) at the penultimate hurdle at the elite senior event at the Royal Albert Hall, going down to Cedric Pioline.

But even in defeat, the 37-year-old from Los Angeles was wondering why he stayed away so long from the city where he carved his tennis reputation.

"This place brings back memories," he said of the capital, rainy for much of the winter week. "Just being here and seeing the British people... it was good to be back."

London  - Pete Sampras didn't mange to reach the weekend final of the BlackRock Masters. But the American's first return to London in six years still provoked a wave of pleasant nostalgia for the seven-time Wimbledon winner.

Sampras fell 7-6 (10-7), 7-6 (10-5) at the penultimate hurdle at the elite senior event at the Royal Albert Hall, going down to Cedric Pioline.

But even in defeat, the 37-year-old from Los Angeles was wondering why he stayed away so long from the city where he carved his tennis reputation.

"This place brings back memories," he said of the capital, rainy for much of the winter week. "Just being here and seeing the British people... it was good to be back."

London - John McEnroe may finally be ready to call time on his senior career shortly after turning 50 next February 16.

"I think common sense should prevail," said the former bad boy whose tennis has been holding various senior tours together for more than a decade. "I turn 50 in February and have a commitment to play in Rio in March. After that things are pretty open-ended."

Wiping away the competition in the under-16 category of the meet, Delhi tennis player Prateek Bhambri won his first major title at the DSCL Nationals. The luck of the draw handed him a second-round meeting with the top seed VM Ranjeet - a match which took the expected path and handed the top seed a place in the quarter-finals on Tuesday, figuring in the senior category this time around. On the second day of the national championships at the DLTA Complex, Ranjeet won the match 6-2, 6-1.

Bhambri simply disintegrated in the face of his opponent's powerful serve and groundstrokes.

Zurich - Roger Federer will play only two tune-up events on clay in 2009, ahead of the only Grand Slam he has never won, the French Open.

The former world number one Federer said on his website that he will play at the Madrid and Rome 1000 Series (formerly Masters Series) events ahead of the May 24 French Open start in Paris.

Switzerland's Federer played four events on the dirt this year, but was beaten for the third time in a row by new number one Rafael Nadal of Spain in the Roland Garros final.

Clay is his least favourite surface.