Federer to face Sampras

Federer boasts 10 Grand Slam titles to his name and has been ranked number one in the world since February 2004, while Sampras, 35, dominated tennis throughout the 1990s, claiming a record 14 Grand Slam successes.

Sampras, who is looking forward to locking horns with the 25-year-old Swiss superstar, said: "Roger and I playing each other is great for the game of tennis. It will definitely create a lot of interest. I am sure I will be a little nervous as there is a lot of history there."

He added: "I hold the record for most Grand Slam titles but I am confident that Roger will break that record someday.

"For us to play each other while I am still young enough to play competitively is truly special. Having this also take place in Asia is remarkable for tennis."

The pair only met once before Sampras' retirement in 2002, at Wimbledon in 2001 where Federer caused an upset in five sets on the duo's favourite grass surface.

The players practised together in March at Sampras' Los Angeles home as part of Federer's preparations for the Indian Wells Masters Series tournament. And the exercise proved so successful they decided to take each other on in a more competitive environment.

"To play against Pete is a dream come true," Federer said. "The only time I ever played him was in my first Centre Court appearance at Wimbledon in that famous match which I won 7-5 in the fifth set.

"I was still very young and Pete was clearly dominant at that time. After practising together and seeing how well Pete can still play, I felt we should share our brand of tennis with the fans.

"I'm really looking forward to visiting Malaysia for the first time. There is no doubt that we will play some great tennis."