March 3, 2006
For Sampras, tennis deal is personal
By Leighton Ginn
It's a Grand Slam of a different kind.
The ball was in his court and he kept a major economic engine in his neighborhood.
Tennis Hall of Famer Pete Sampras said the main reason he invested in the Pacific Life Open was the work of George Mackin, the co-owner of Tennis Magazine, which counts Sampras as an investor.
It was also a sentimental decision for Sampras, who owns a home in Palm Desert's Bighorn.
"It's a great event, I missed playing there," Sampras said Tuesday. "I remember I was out there with my son playing a little tennis on the site. We were walking around the stadium and I missed it. I missed playing there. I had some good times and I had some tough times, but I always looked forward to being in the desert."
Sampras, along with fellow tennis superstars Billie Jean King and Chris Evert, has become one of the headliners of a new investment group that helped rescue the Pacific Life Open from financial problems, all but securing its future in the Coachella Valley.
"It's nice to see players invest in the game," said Palm Desert resident Rosie Casals, a Hall of Fame tennis player who was King's doubles partner and is good friends with Evert. "I'd like to see the younger generation do that."