Wednesday, May 16, 2007
An Exciting Experience
Former athletes from various sports, politicians, entrepreneurs and journalists experienced a unique privilege today: they faced some of the top athletes in the history of world tennis; not only that, but some of them can even boast having beaten the tennis stars. At least in the double!
The first of the "ATHENS CHAMPIONS CUP 2007" parallel events took place on Wednesday from 14:30 p.m. to 16:00 p.m. at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex Olympic Tennis Centre auxiliary courts and was very successful.
"It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed myself. This was truly a very special practice" stated Pete Sampras, while Pat Cash added: "This is a very nice experience for all of us. You play against people who are champions in their respective fields and you share a lot of feelings with them. In fact, I even had the chance to see some Greek tennis players I had met in tournaments abroad many years ago. Some of our opponents were really good players."
Wayne Ferreira, who arrived in Athens Wednesday morning and could not make it to the press conference in time, participated in the exhibition matches. The eight athletes partaking in the tournament, along substitute player Michael Pernforns, dropped by every court and played with all the visitors.
The Wednesday event was attended, inter alia, by the New Democracy party Deputy Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the General Secretary of Sports Stavros Douvis, the United States ambassador to Greece Charles P. Ries, the Mayor of Markopoulo Fotis Magoulas, the Coca Cola chairman for Southeast Europe Division Central Europe Michael Holm Johansen, the Greek Men's National Basketball Team manager Nikos Filippou, the president of the Organization for Youth and Sports Vassilis Kikilias, the former international football players Vassilis Tsiartas and Takis Gonias, the former international basketball player Takis Koroneos, the former tennis champion Fotis Vazeos, the entrepreneurs Yannis Stasinopoulos, Giorgos Saradopoulos, Nikos Nasioutzik, and journalists Rodolfo Moronis, Giorgos Liaghas, and Sotiris Kostavaras.
"This is an extraordinary experience and one I will never forget. I have had the chance to play against Sampras, Courier, Cash and other great athletes", commented Deputy Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The United States ambassador Charles P. Ries said: "I came here because I love tennis and I play whenever I get the chance to."
For Takis Koroneos the experience was also exciting. "Amazing event! As far as I have seen I am in good shape, and if I practice a bit more I may even be able to beat Sampras in the singles!"
Vassilis Tsiartas proved to be an exceptional player --- and a well-trained one at that. "I often play tennis, but this experience was earth-shaking. I could never fathom that a day would come when I would be playing with Sampras!"
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Sampras and Courrier under Acropolis
This is most definitely something that Iktinus, Kallikrates, Feidias or even Perikles would never have imagined... The thought that 2,443 years after completing the construction of the Parthenon two famous tennis players would be matching skills right under the overwhelming shadow of the Acropolis would never have crossed their minds. Not only that, but this experience would be one of the most special and exciting of the athletes' lives yet.
This morning and in the context of the "ATHENS CHAMPIONS CUP 2007" parallel events, Pete Sampras and Jim Courier took on an exhibition match that lasted but a few minutes at the parking lot of "Dionysus" restaurant. The event caused a sensation amongst passersby and by far amongst the foreign tourists, who just happened to be visiting the Acropolis at that time; as a result, they all gathered around the improvised tennis court to watch the game and then have their picture taken with the two players and get some autographs.
"This picture is a truly thrilling picture. This is the first time I have stepped foot on my parents' homeland and I found myself playing tennis at the foot of a monument with 2,500 years of history. You can only imaging how I am feelingc," stated Sampras.
"To be honest, I would like to visit the Acropolis and get a guided tour through all the archaeological sites and hopefully I will get around it on Sunday. Jim and I came here to play a little, get people to see us and take some photos. I think you have all enjoyed ourselves and I, for one, will cherish this picture in my mind for the rest of my days," continued the famous Greek-American tennis player, who did not omit to crack a joke: "Of course, the cement court was a bit rough on me, but that's OK..."
Since Monday evening, when he arrived in Athens, the tennis player considered to be the best of all times, has become the recipient of the constant and never-ending expression of Greeks' love and admiration, sports fans or not. "I feel on top of the world and like I have been living in Greece for years on end. I have played everywhere and I always remember Greeks standing by my side. All over the world, and particularly in Melbourne, their support has always been tremendous; besides, Greeks have this gift of sticking together, supporting one another and making you feel wonderful. No matter when, no matter where, you always realize how proud they are of Greek athletes and athletes of Greek origin".
Pete Sampras did not hide his enthusiasm about the excellent facilities of the AOSC Olympic Tennis Centre. "The tennis courts and all the rest of the premises are of the highest level; besides they hosted the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. I believe that there is a serious chance of holding a great ATP tournament here sometime in the future."
COURIER: "I feel blessed!"
Jim Courier stated that he is just as enchanted by today's experience. "I feel very lucky, I would even say blessed. I lived an exciting experience that will not be erased from my memory. Not many athletes have the prerogative of playing in the shadow cast by the Acropolis...," commented the American athlete.
Sampras and Courier played one-on-one for a few minutes. Later on, they faced one of their most avid supporters, age ten! That fan was none other than Stefanos Kommatas, an athlete with the Peristeri Palaskas Sports Club. Just a few months ago, Stefanos took third place at a tournament for children up to the age of ten, held at Enfleur, Normandy.
"This is something I would not even dare dream of," said the Lilliputian tennis player, who proved a worthy opponent for Sampras and Courier!
Thursday, May 17, 2007
MAYOR OF ATHENS: "Pete, you have got to visit your village of origin"
The Athens City Hall at Kotzia square was the second stop for Pete Sampras and Jim Courier during Thursday's activities. After the match in front of the Acropolis, the two tennis players, accompanied by the GSS Stavros Douvis, the president of the "ATHENS OPEN" S.A. Konstantinos Makrykostas and the chairman of the "International Tennis Hall of Fame" Executive Committee Chris Clouser, went to the City Hall where they met with the Mayor of the City of Athens Nikitas Kaklamanis.
The Mayor presented the two athletes with commemorative gifts and had the opportunity to have a brief discussion with them. Sampras and Courier said they felt captivated by the match they had played earlier on at the foot of the Acropolis, as well as by the way the Greek public had received them everywhere they had appeared so far.
During their conversation, Mr. Kaklamanis urged Sampras to get to know his roots. "You have got to visit Selacia to see where your mother was born and meet with your relatives. Only there will you get a real glimpse of Greece at its most authentic," said the Mayor of Athens to the Greek-American player.
After the end of the meeting, Mr. Kaklamanis stated: "Meeting with one of the idols of world sports is very pleasant. I was particularly happy when he told me that he is of Greek origin; besides, it is so obvious if you notice his moves and gestures. His demeanor is Greek all the way."
Thursday, May 17, 2007
MATCH No 4: SAMPRAS def. FERREIRA 6-3, 7-6
Pete Sampras rewarded the crowd for having impatiently awaited his first appearance in the "ATHENS CHAMPIONS CUP", by showing mere fragments of his unparallel class in the match against Wayne Ferreira.
The Greek-American tennis player prevailed over his South-African opponent by 2-0-sets (6-3, 7-6), in a match that offered a lot of impressive plays on both sides of the court, forcing the thrilled crowd to often burst in cheers for the two athletes, while clearly showing its preference for Sampras.
Ferreira opened the match with great enthusiasm and easily won the first game, however Sampras retorted rapidly, found his pace, soared up to 5-2 and "locked in" the first set at 6-3. Ferreira tried to avoid the.... deadly forehand of the most successful athlete in the history of world tennis, but Sampras' superiority was far from inconspicuous.
In the second set, Ferreira managed to react efficiently and took the reigns in the score. He kept a steady lead of one game thanks to his impressive serves that resulted in quite a few aces. Sampras continued coming up to the net, but by now Ferreira had positioned himself well and took advantage of the relative looseness of his opponent.
Ferreira led by 5-4 and then 6-5 and had the chance to finish the set. Sampras, however, thought otherwise, tied the score to 6-6 and sent the match to the tie break. At that point, Sampras justified his reputation, went up to 3-0 with a spectacular smash and confirmed his great class most emphatically (7-1). Overall Sampras marked 21 aces!
QUOTES FROM THE PLAYERS
PETE SAMPRAS
"I feel just a little bit tired due to the jetlag. It was nice to compete even though Wayne gave me a lot of trouble. As a matter of fact, back in our days, I think Wayne had a winning record against me. I am excited that I finally managed to play in my homeland. So, to finally make it here, it actually feels great. I might even have the chance to visit my mother's village on Saturday, which will be interesting. It's 2 and a half hours away from Athens, so I might get a helicopter to get there. Regarding the quality of tonight's game, I think that we both played pretty well. The level was very high and we both had pretty quick serves. Wayne played quite well and the second set could have gone either way. The atmosphere is quite nice and the fans seemed to enjoy it. I enjoyed playing here; that was fun. As far as the court is concerned, it is a bit on the quick side. If you serve well, you are going to win a lot of points. I don't think that the Greek god will allow it to rain tomorrow, as it's supposed to. It's a great honour to be in the Hall of Fame, yet I don't think that there is just one greatest tennis player. Each decade has a guy who dominated it. I was the player of the 90s, as Roger (Federer) is the player of the 00s. It's really unfair to name just one guy as the best ever."
WAYNE FERREIRA
"I think that this arena, in particular, is outstanding. It's very nice that people are so close to the court. You have great facilities, you have a second arena... You have what it takes in order to host a great tournament. The temperature is not that high even during the day. During the Australian Open and the US Open it is very hot. We are used to it, so it shouldn't be a problem. Due to technology, tennis is becoming more one-dimensional. It has definitely changed a lot since our era. For me, technology is making the sport less fun to watch. Tennis has changed incredibly in the last 4-5 years. Today there is no strategy and I honestly think that it has become worse. Perhaps one solution would be if everyone starts playing once again with wooden racquets. Maybe we should think about it. It would be interesting, because it would bring everybody to the same level."
The final match of the "ATHENS CHAMPIONS CUP" first day was attended, inter alia, by the Minister of Culture Giorgos Voulgarakis, the Deputy Minister of Sports Giorgos Orfanos, the GSS Stavros Douvis, and the United States ambassador to Greece Charles P. Ries.
Friday, May 18, 2007
MATCH No 7: SAMPRAS def. CASH 7-6, 6-2
In front of an enthusiastic crowd, Pete Sampras reminded at times the athlete who dominated the previous decade, defeating Pat Cash by 2-0 sets. Albeit, it was his Australian opponent the one who pulled the rug from under him as far as impressions go. Cash was spectacular both in the way he competed in the first set and as far as his mood is concerned. He felt like rewarding the fans at times by throwing head-bands at them and at others by generously handing out tennis balls left and right.
Sampras came into the court determined to make the most of his 'killer' serve; and this is precisely what he did as three aces left Cash no leeway to react, and suddenly it was 1-0. Sampras' serves reached 204 km/hr, but Pat Cash mustered wits and experience and found a way to respond, tying the games first 1-1, then 2-2 and 3-3. When the legendary American, though, began coming up to the net more often and finishing the points with drop-shots, Cash had no choice but to try and 'bribe' the referee. The fans appreciated his sense of humor and showed it by means of applause and the 42-year-old Aussie brought the match back up on even keel (4-4). Soon, 41 minutes into the match, the two players got to the tie break neck-to-neck, where a decisive mistake on Cash's part (dropping the shot into the net) and one of Sampras' usual and unstoppable serves, swung the set over to the Greek fans' favorite.
In the second set, Sampras decided to show the audience why he was once considered almost invincible. With an impossible-to-return backhand, he broke Cash's serve. Contrary to the predictions from the weather service, the storm did not break out over the skies, but took on the face of Pete Sampras, who through a deluge of unmet forehands broke another game for 4-1. Being by far the top showman of the tournament, Cash took a bow before a great opponent, urging at the same time a ball-boy to substitute him in the match, but not even that could do the trick. Nothing could change the predetermined outcome of the match and Sampras soon reached 6-2 games in the set, 2-0 sets in the match and 2-0 victories in the tournament. This, in turn, means that tomorrow he will have to defeat an 'old acquaintance' of his, Jim Courier, in order to play in Sunday's final.
QUOTES FROM THE PLAYERS
PETE SAMPRAS:
"Cash is a very experienced player. It was really tough for me to break his serve. He had some great returns. And even at the age of 42 he still moves very well on court. He had some very good serves, but in the second set I served well too and managed to make the break early on. As far as Cash's relationship with the fans is concerned, I have to admit he is a charismatic guy. He still plays tennis very well, but is an entertainer, too."
PAT CASH:
"This was the first time I ever faced Pete. He is my favorite player of all times. I suppose from now on I will be his favorite, too! I tried my best, but he was obviously better. Not very nice of him, don't you think? I am just kidding. The most important thing is to play good tennis and I think that this was the case tonight; at least in the first set. Sampras did not start well, but in the second set he improved his game and had some excellent returns. Pete plays with great power all the time and it was difficult for me to return the ball. I missed a couple of volleys too. So, I had to try to convince the referee to support me offering him some money, but this didn't work out, either. I always try to have fun with the crowd. One of the problems in tennis is the fact that there is not much interaction with the fans. Of course, under normal circumstances I would not have done all these, since they would suggest lack of respect toward my opponent. But, I think Pete took it nicely; he relaxed and enjoyed it".
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Match No 12: SAMPRAS def. COURIER 6-2, 6-4
Following last night's postponement due to adverse weather conditions, in the match that took place today in order to complete the first round Pete Sampras appeared to be in excellent shape and prevailed over Jim Courier, 6-2, 6-4.
Exploiting his compatriot's unforced error, 'Pistol Pete' immediately broke the game on his 37-year-old opponent's serve, only to go on and 'trap' him between his exquisite technique and endless 'arsenal' of variability in his play. The world tennis 'King Midas' used a series of drop shots and unfathomable shots, taking an early lead (0-4) and exciting the crowd.
Courier began to gradually improve his performance and with consecutive aces closed the gap to 2-5; nevertheless, Sampras was the uncontested master of the first set and hit an ace for the score to read 6-2 (1-0 sets) after 18 minutes into the match.
In the second set, Courier noticeably reduced his errors and seemed capable of claiming victory, since Sampras was unable to find solutions to his opponent's powerful serves. It was not by a sheer stroke of luck, though, that the 36-year-old American had come to conquer 14 Grand Slam titles. Far from it! With an exceptional backhand, indicating his class, he broke the game on the 'jockey-cap bomber's' serve for 3-4, and victory was only a matter of time from there on. Courier, realizing that the leeway for a comeback was getting too close for comfort, sought the help of a ball-boy, which forced Sampras to recruit a ball-boy of his own. With the fans cheering the future tennis stars, Sampras took back the reigns, and hit for 4-6 and 0-2 sets.
QUOTES FROM THE PLAYERS
JIM COURIER:
"Well, it's not nice to lose, but that's just one more defeat to Pete. It's not like I've never experienced that before. He served the ball well and, together with the quick court and the fact that I could not get 100% out of my first serve, caused me trouble. It's tough if he gets the advantage with his excellent serve. We have a long history with Pete since back when we were kids. I remember us attending the same training camps, play tennis and go to practice at six o' clock in the morning. Well, Pete was the last to get out of bed; it's not like him to be the early bird! We played together doubles, we played together in the Australian and the French Open, in the Davis Cup...we have a lot of memories together. What I also enjoyed these days was the event when we played with the kids. There was no such thing back when I was a kid but if I had the chance to play against my favorite player growing up it would have been Bjorn Borg. I consider Roger Federer to be the most complete tennis player; along with Pete Sampras and Rod Laver they constitute the top three of all times. The most important thing is not to bring people to the tennis court, but get them to play. It's important to attract them at a young age, so that talented kids get more involved in it and grow to be good athletes. You have a fantastic court here that could be used for that purpose. I think the facilities here are a truly valuable asset for the further promotion of tennis. As regards the tournament, I hope to come back here next here. I have to win it sometime, you know!"
Pete Sampras will be making statements after the Final
Sunday, May 20, 2007
SAMPRAS TRIUMPHED IN THE "ATHENS CHAMPIONS CUP 2007"
MATCH No 14: SAMPRAS defeated MARTIN 2-1 (6-3, 1-6, TB: 10-6)
In a match that --- including the waiting period due to the rain --- lasted more than four hours, Pete Sampras overcame the obstacle called Todd Martin, by beating him 6-3, 1-6 and 10-6 on the tie break, to conquer the title in the "Athens Champions Cup 2007".
Making the most of his speed going up to the net --- at least more often than his opponent did --- Pete Sampras broke the game on Martin's serve to 3-1, showing his intentions of winning early on. Martin was prone to unforced errors, but it seemed that the 'God of rain' was on his side this time, and the referee had to temporarily interrupt the match.
After approximately one hundred minutes of wait, the two contenders for the title grabbed their racquets again, with 'Pistol Pete' immediately shooting out a couple of 'thunders' for 4-1. The only thing Martin was able to do was cut down the difference to 5-3, since at the crucial moment another couple of aces by Sampras confirmed who the uncontested master of the first set was (6-3).
While most fans were trying to get hold of their cameras to take photos of Sampras holding the trophy, Martin just did not quite agree with them. He dictated his pace on the match, hit some decisive aces and completely dominated over his compatriot, easily cruising to 6-1 in the second set. All of a sudden, the 37-year-old American seemed to be in a better state of mind, while Sampras --- quite possibly affected by his earlier match against Courier --- seemed a bit tired.
It was high time for the tie break 'Russian roulette'. Sampras quickly reached 3-0, but that did not have any impact at all on Martin, who, after some impressive returns on two consecutive smash shots from his legendary opponent, turned everything upside-down again for 3-4. With his back against the wall, Sampras 'loaded' and shot four consecutive aces to lead 7-6. Martin attempted a response, but Sampras' desire to triumph in his mother's homeland was all too obvious. With two unmet forehand shots, he reached victory with 2-1 sets, proving that even at age 36 he is still a truly exceptional tennis player.
QUOTES FROM THE PLAYERS
PETE SAMPRAS:
"I think it was a difficult match. I had trouble in my returns during the second set and it's not that I played poorly but my performance was not as good as I wanted. On the contrary, I managed to get hit some aces in the tie break and that helped me get back into pace. The delay and temporary interruption due to the rain was not ideal, but we tennis players are used to such things and have learned to cope. For me it is really special to win the title in a tournament that takes place in Greece. Unfortunately, due to the weather, I have not had the chance to visit my mother's place of origin, but at least my parents have managed to visit Selacia and Tripolis. In any case, I plan to come back to Greece with my wife and kids. I want to visit the Acropolis, because due to the corporate obligations to promote the tournament, I've only been able to admire it from a distance; not a big distance, but not close enough either. Overall, I feel in good shape and I think I'm still competitive at high level. As regards my listing on the International Hall of Fame, I feel honored. It's truly a great honor to be able to reflect and appreciate what you've done throughout your entire career and see that others appreciate your value and sacrifices as well. The most intense moments of my career were those in the last US Open against Agassi and the last Wimbledon."
TODD MARTIN:
"I think I did really well in the second set. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about the tie break! Pete is the equivalent of a punch clock: with him, the beginning of each game is like the beginning of a work day. You punch in, do your work, assess what you've done, you punch out. With Pete, you go into the game, he serves four aces, you punch out and go to the beginning of the next game. It's not enough to play well in one game; you have to do even better in the next one. We all competed in very good spirits and on a very good level. It is very fortunate that thanks to this event we can continue playing tennis, even at a slightly lower level. I now enjoy more my role as a coach. And now I'm going to go get a shower and hopefully manage to visit the Acropolis in time."
Sunday, May 20, 2007
"We sincerely thank all of you"
The curtain fell on the "Athens Champions Cup 2007" with the award ceremony and a warm standing ovation on the part of the...resilient fans who remained until the end of the exciting final.
The Deputy Minister of Sports, Giorgos Orfanos, the General Secretary for Sports, Stavros Douvis, the president of the "Athens Open", Konstantinos Makrykostas, and the chairman of the "International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum" executive committee, Chris Clouser, congratulated all those who contributed to an impeccable and successful event; especially the athletes, the sponsors, the volunteers and the spectators.
Pete Sampras uttered some Greek words for the second time throughout his stay in Athens by saying 'efharisto' ('thank you') to everyone and left the court enjoying a last whole-hearted applause from the crowd.