September 16, 2011
Pete Sampras says Serena Williams probably 'regretting' outburst at U.S. Open
By Hal Habib
The words could have been spoken by scores of athletes. The fact they came from this one is what makes them memorable.
"I was a bit of a hothead when I was a kid," Pete Sampras said.
It's difficult to compute that today about a player who prided himself in displaying composure on the tennis court. Yet Sampras can recall tossing rackets and having "those moments" with his father before maturing into a 14-time Grand Slam champion.
Sampras, 40, figures the same process likely is taking place nowadays for Serena Williams following her often-replayed tirade during her U.S. Open final loss to Samantha Stosur. Included in Williams' rant: telling chair umpire Eva Asderaki she was "unattractive inside."
"She's a great champion and I'm a fan of Serena's but I just think you have to control your emotions and I'm sure she's regretting it now, because it took two weeks, six matches, to get to that position and you sort of let the situation get the best of yourself," Sampras said.
"It really is a time to keep yourself in check, get over it, get back to playing and do what you can. But to lose your composure is not something she's proud of. I'm sure she's going to try to work on it."
Sampras said while there were calls he disagreed with, "I never really got angry" when he was on tour.
"I don't get too upset in general and on the court I just felt vulnerable out there, that people are watching and I would have felt embarrassed to show that side of me," he said.
If South Florida tennis fans want to see fiery play, they may not have to look far. Thursday night, Sampras will face John McEnroe in Sunrise's BankAtlantic Center to kick off the Champions Series' 11-city tour, which concludes Oct. 22 in Buffalo, N.Y.
Jim Courier will play Jimmy Connors in the other one-set semifinal in Sunrise, and the winners meet in the championship match later that night. Tickets for the event, which begins at 7:30 p.m., range from $38.75 to $270.75 and are available through Ticketmaster.