9 February 2010
Pete Sampras drops exhibition match to Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 7-6 --- holds court with media on retirement, USA Tennis, Andre Agassi and Roger Federer
Spurred on by the recent Australian Open and the SAP Open men's tournament beginning this week, local players have been swarming tennis courts in the brief moments between major winter storm systems. Monday night, 5,948 fans braved the rain to watch #11-ranked Fernando Verdasco down 14-time Grand Slam winner Pete Sampras 6-3, 7-6 (2) in an exhibition match at HP Pavilion.
Sampras, a 2-time SAP Open tournament champion in 1996 and 1997, dropped the first game to Verdasco but he answered on serve 40-0. On his next service game, a volley wide and a double fault gave the Spaniard a break and a 3-1 lead. A fit and mobile 26-year old Verdasco was a machine on the court, with footwork setting up his groundstrokes and solid return of serves. The heavily partisan crowd tried to will a slower 38-year old Sampras back into the first set, but a tweaked calf muscle did not help his efforts to revive the serve-and-volley of old. "It took me a few games to figure it out, by the second, I said I'm not playing a match for a few more months, so go for it," Sampras said in post-game press conference. Up 40-15, he mixed it up with a 115 mph spin serve out wide to make it 4-2.
Sampras punctuated another game with a 124mph serve to push Verdasco to 5-3 in the first set, but the result was a foregone conclusion. A blistering Verdasco forehand dropped into the far court like it fell off a table, a glimpse of what it is like when the dial is turned up to 10. Verdasco took the first set 6-3. He was an integral part of Spain's 2008 and 2009 Davis Cup winning teams, and he stormed through Radek Stepanek, Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga before losing a 5-set thiller in the 2009 Australian Open semifinals to Rafael Nadal. The 5 hour, 14 minute long match was labeled by many as one of the best of the year.
Pete Sampras was popping his serve to start the second set. 127 mph and 129 mph aces were 2 of 9 total for the match, and another at 120 mph forced a return into the net. He started making his way to the net more, but a left-handed Verdasco matched him pace for pace. After a dig Sampras volley cut just over the net later in the set, Verdasco called out to the crowd "let me see a replay." But the moment was shortlived. Timing and instincts honed from regular Tour play eluded Sampras, who shook his racquet after one missed ground stroke and stared blankly at a linesman after looking flat-footed on another Verdasco ace.
Up 6-5 and trying to force a third set, Sampras could not dent the Verdasco serve. In the second set tiebreak, an errant ground stroke on a long rally and a forehand volley wide gave an early lead to Fernando. With a Sampras double-fault thrown in, the match ended at 57 minutes with a 6-3, 7-6 (2) exhibition win for SAP Open #2 seed Fernando Verdasco. On the court after the match, Sampras told HP Pavilion announcer Danny Miller that Verdasco was a "tough" opponent who is capable of winning a major. Miller responded by mentioning that when Sampras adds his 2 SAP Open titles to his 14 Grand Slams, he is tied with world #1 Roger Federer.
In the night session finale, American Wayne Odesnik fought off a first set bagel and won a second set tiebreak before losing to 6-foot-5 Czech Tomas Berdych in 3 sets, 6-1, 6-7(5), 7-5. Odesnik started to open up more from the baseline as the match progressed. Berdych has a heavy, flat serve. In other Day 1 Singles results Isreal's Dudi Sela defeated Columbia's Santiago Giraldo 7-6(2) 7-6(4), Argentinian Leonardo Mayer defeated Latvian Ernests Gulbis 7-5, 6-4, Finland's Jarkko Nieminen defeated Germany's Lars Poerschke 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin defeated American Ryan Harrison 6-2, 7-5, and American Taylor Dent defeated Qualifier Alex Bogomolov Jr 6-4, 7-6(2). In Doubles action, Haas-Stepanek defeated Cerretani-Kohlmann 6-3, 6-3, and Fish-Querrey defeated Ginepri-Rettenmaier 6-3, 6-4. The SAP Open's top seeded Andy Roddick, and second seed Fernando Verdasco, return to action Wednesday at the Tank. Fourth seed Tommy Haas and seventh seed Sam Querry take the court Tuesday.
A photo gallery from the SAP Open Day 1 night session is available here.
[Update] In a post-exhibition interview with reporters, Pete Sampras discussed his retirement, the state of American tennis, recent comments made by Agassi in his auto-biography, whether Roger Federer should be considered the greatest tennis player of all-time, and several other topics.
A selected transcript is available below:
How was it out there?
It was a little frustrating, I was having a hard time getting to his service games. His serve was tricky for me to get a hold of it. Sometimes he would spin it in, sometimes he would press to 135, so it kept me off balance. It was frustrating, I couldn't get any rythmn in the service games from the offensive side. I felt pretty good with the serve and volley. When I was broken, I was a little taken aback by a 3-all point. I double faulted, it was a little downhill... I got broken and I felt I could just never get into his service games. It is harder for me to just play defense. It is harder for me to move. He is a tricky player, he plays with a lot of spin. Tricky serves and second serves, give him a short forehand and you are done. He is tough, he is the real deal. He was seventh in the world last year. He is right there, he can win a major. Obviously he is not one of the main guys, but he is a good player.
He strings it real loose, real light. He just whips it and controls it. It is a tough ball to get back. All these guys, you look at a guy like Nadal, it is a tricky game to play against. That Luxilon string, it is tough to play.
Did your calf loosen up in the second?
It did. I felt a little twinge. It sort of took me a few games to figure it out. I said I am not playing a match for 3 more months so I would go for it.
Can you describe what you meant by your Hall of Fame induction comments, 'I'm a tennis player, nothing more and nothing less'?
It was a just a comment that I wanted to end it with, that I am a tennis player. I wasn't an entertainer in that way. I looked at what I did as a profession, and it was very pure to me. I didn't get involved in the whole image/entertainment part of the sport. I was just a tennis player. That was the way I came into the game, that was the way I left the game. I did some nice things in the middle. It was just my way of ending the speech, 'nothing more, nothing less than a tennis player." That was the way I felt good about ending it.
Looking back on your career, and on your visit to the Wimbledon final last year, how do you look back on yourself now since it has been a few years since you left the sport?
When I was at the finals I was amazed at how well Roger and Andy played, it was a great tennis match. But you look back at my career and my time at Wimbledon, and what I looked out there, how dominant I was and what I did on the court. It was reflected a little bit in that 5 hour tennis match, on my game and the 7 titles I won there. The game has changed, I am pretty removed from it. I still play a little here and there, coming up here is fun for me. Fernando is a tough deal for me, but I hope fans enjoyed it. It was a good night.
On the 2010 Australian Open...
The final of a major, Roger can play a bad match here and there, but in the final of a major the great ones really tighten it up. I have seen some highlights, it was like target practice. Andy wasn't offensive enough, he didn't make it happen. You give enough forehands to Roger and he is going to hurt you... you put Roger in the final and he is going to be tough to beat.
Can you talk about the general demise that Tiger Woods experienced?
All I am going to say about it is that it is a sad situation. I don't know Tiger all that well. You just feel for his wife and kids.
Can you talk about the state of American tennis after Andy Roddick?
Sure it would be great to have more Americans in the top-15 or top-20. After Andy it is a little thin. We have (John) Isner, who is coming along, and (Sam) Querry is there. Fans and the media were a little spoiled in the 90's. With myself, Andre and Jimmy, it was a pretty rare group of guys. Now we are looking for our next champion, our next #1 guy. People are looking, but its a little thin. We are pretty good, not where we want to be, but it might take 5 years or 20 years. It is hard to say. Andy is our leader, and he came so close in that Wimbledon final. It would have been huge for him. James is slowing down a little bit, it is looking a little thin.
A down period?
It is a cycle, a down cycle... The game is all around the world, so you have a lot of great players. Tennis in the U.S. is still very popular, but it is competing with basketball, baseball and football. It is a tough go, it is going to take some time.
Did you have a conversation with Andre about comments he made about you in his book?
We did... He talked, and I listened. If anyone is a bad tipper, it is him. I gave him so many lessons over the years. We talked about it, I didn't read the book, he said he wanted me to read the book before I commented on it. I got wind of a few things here and there. Listen, it is not a big deal. The book is what he says and does. With me, we are above all that, taking shots. I certainly could have taken my shots at Andre over the years in my book, but I chose not to. He choose to be a little more open and honest about a lot of things, that is his choice. I was a little surprised, but I still like the guy. I have no ill feelings toward Andre, but I was a little surprised he went down that road.
I like Andre, if I see him in here I would not walk the other way. I think it freaked him out a little how I did my thing, or certainly it messed with his head that I was able to maintain my focus. To me it wasn't a big deal but he was amazed by it. So I may have been a little on the quiet side, he couldn't understand that. I think, why can't you understand that. That is what Borg did, that is what Roger did, it is something that is very normal to me.
I don't know if he was distracted or not, everything was very sensitive, everything was a big deal. (On Andre saying he hated tennis) Tennis has been pretty good to me, I am flying home on a private jet. I am not going to complain about it. About some of his comments, I think they came from his childhood, the situation with his father. At the same time, you are complaining about being world famous and making a lot of money. It is a good life, I wouldn't trade it.
It was a positive (conversation). It was fine. It was cordial. He said what he needed to say, and I told him where I was at. It wasn't a big deal, I don't want to give this any more power than it is. I know (he said a lot of good things too). Hearing some of the negative things, you know the press wants to talk about the negative things... I am going to go overseas, maybe I will bring it with me and open (his book) up.
If you had a chance to write your book, would you do it any differently or is there a sort of lockerroom code?
No, it is not my style. I didn't want to offend anyone. I was sensitive to my family's feelings, I was sensitive to other players. I could have gone down that road but I chose not to. It wasn't about that for me, it was about how I became a champion. The publisher wanted me to write about that stuff, but I want a book that my kids can read that I am proud of, that was my choice. I didn't write a book where I could make a lot of money. It was something I wanted to be proud of... where my kids could understand me as a tennis player.
Can Roger Federer win a calender year Grand Slam?
Anything is possible. It is not probable. The French is going to be a big one for him to defend that. You look at all these Verdasco's and Nadal's, I think it is possible with Roger. He needs to follow the plan. He needs a good draw, he needs good luck, he needs great weather. Anything is possible. The French will be a real tough hurdle. Wimbeldon will be tough, it is not going to be easy. He is a freak of nature.
His streak in the semis of 23 straight Grand Slams, do you think that people pay enough attention to that record? People reference DiMaggio.
It is sick. To be that consistent on all surfaces... it is mind boggling.
Outside of exhibitions like this, are you still looking to be involved in tennis?
It is tough to find out what to do. I talked to the USTA about trying to help out a little bit. We are sort of on different pages on that. If I am going to be doing some things, I want to be compensated for my time. They are on a different page with that. I am in to helping some young juniors and pros, I do know what I am doing out there. I talked to Pat McEnroe a few times. He is on a different page. I am cool with that. I thought about an academy or whatever, I have tossed that idea around. Tennis is a tricky sport to retire and to try to figure out what is next. Golf you can design clubs our course, in team sports you can get into different things, in tennis it is tricky. You play for awhile, and then what do you do. You are not going to own a tournament. I am not into putting on a coat and tie. It really is just playing a little bit, getting involved and giving back in some way. I have time on my hands. If the USTA wants to step up a little bit, I will make a champion.
I live in LA, there is a facility in Carson that is not too far away. I have a lot of time. I find myself hitting with a lot of these younger guys, like I have the last few weeks and few years. I want to help these guys, they are so green. I see in their game and in their attitudes that they need a change. I am not one to tell a kid this is what you need to do, but I'm available for services. When the phone doesn't ring, I know it's them.
Besides the fame and the wealth, what more did you derive from the game of tennis and what kept you going for so long?
I look at the years that I was the best player in the world, and the grind and the stress, I felt it took some time to get there but that I showed good character when times were tough. Physically going through some things I just felt that I did not sell out, I did it my way. I look back at the tough years, and the grinding and getting massages until 3 in the morning, icing down, it was tough, but I was able to look back at those years and think that I did well. I was proud of myself, and that is not an easy thing for me to say.