NEW YORK — March Madness arrived at Madison Square Garden last night, but the ball was yellow and fuzzy.

Former champion Pete Sampras and current No. 1 Roger Federer filled up every seat in the Garden, and earned their first standing ovation for just walking out on the court for their exhibition tennis match.

"It's nice to see tennis back on the front page," Sampras said.

The 37-year-old Sampras can remember when the ATP Tour played its championship here until 1989, but Federer, 26, had been no closer than the souvenir shop outside to pick up a Rangers jersey.

The NetJets Showdown brought tennis back, and a pro-Sampras crowd cheered both through three high-quality sets before Federer finally won, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6).

Before the match, select fans got a chance to ask the pair questions at a NetJets party. In the blue glow of the lighted cocktail tables, Sampras revealed that the knock on Federer on tour is that he's tight with money.

"That's the inside joke," Sampras said as they laughed.

Both advised a conflicted father to send his son, a promising junior, to a tennis academy. They listened as an 89-year-old Lewis Gullman recounted returning a Federer serve at an East Hampton tennis club. They let Cameron Bartnett, 13, know what it took to be great.

"Practice," Federer said.

Federer revealed last week that he had been diagnosed with mononucleosis, which could explain his performances earlier this year. He lost in the first round of a Dubai tournament, and then, after reaching 15 straight Grand Slam finals, he was out in the semis of the Australian Open.

In those few short weeks, the conversation changed from whether he was the best ever to whether he would retire.

"In Switzerland there's a little too much speculation that my career is over, so I had to put the record straight," Federer said.

Sampras, who spent yesterday joined at the hip with his opponent starting with a morning news conference, listened to Federer and could hear the annoyance in his voice. He turned to him and said with a dose of sarcasm, "You have to understand the media - they need a story, Rog."

Part of the appeal of the matchup is the fantasy aspect. Rod Laver can't play Ken Rosewall, John McEnroe could serve as pregame MC but not unleash a string of aces, but Federer and Sampras are still competitive. As Federer approaches Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam titles, this match has the immediacy of history.

"There's been such a buzz about this matchup and about tennis at the Garden," said former player Mary Jo Fernandez. "The Garden missed tennis."

It's been eight years since the Garden hosted the WTA championships, to sparse crowds in the early rounds. It was a risk to put this together here and now, but the response has already spurred a plan among promoter Jerry Solomon, Garden officials and the United States Tennis Association.

"The idea is to have something annually here," Solomon said. "To bring a big event in New York City is something that makes a lot of sense."

Next year, the USTA will be much more involved, and with that comes the glitz and fireworks of the U.S. Open.

"This, to us, is a start of an annual tennis night in America at the world's greatest arena," said Arlen Kantarian, the USTA's CEO of professional tennis.

Joel Fisher, the executive vice president of MSG, confirmed that the Garden was keeping the date next year for another tennis exhibition, and Kantarian said the format might include a women's match as well.

Sampras made it clear that these exhibition matches were the not the prelude to a comeback. He is still physically equipped to play matches occasionally, but the grind of the ATP Tour wore at him.

"Look at Brett Favre," Sampras said of the recently retired Green Bay Packers quarterback. "Exactly what he said is how I felt when I retired."

But tennis and sports luminaries came out for the curtain call. Stan Smith, Ivan Lendl, both Patrick and John McEnroe, actress Chloe Sevigny, Vogue editor Anna Wintour, Donald Trump, Tiger Woods, actor Luke Wilson and Billie Jean King were on hand for the match.

"I think tennis is going to be the big winner tonight and not necessarily me or him," Federer said.