December 22, 2006
Federer's foil?
Happily retired Sampras still has game to topple No. 1
By Justin Gimelstob (GIMEL'S BLOG)
December is the offseason for professional tennis. Exhibitions and charity events fill up the calendar as players scurry around picking up some extra holiday spending cash, all while training and preparing for the upcoming year.
In most of these types of events, the game itself is purely for entertainment value. But when you get great athletes together, competitive instincts and pride are always bubbling right underneath the surface.
During this past month, my back has healed enough that I've got on the court to practice a few times a week. (For more on the story behind my surgery, click here.)
It has been exhilarating to reconnect with the sport I love and have missed dearly, and the old adage that you don't realize how much you miss something until it's gone certainly applies. That being said, the pain and frustration of trying to rehabilitate such a severe surgery has been incredibly challenging at times.
But this column isn't about me --- it's about one of, if not the greatest, tennis players of all time. Everyone, me included, has been quick to anoint Roger Federer the new alpha male of tennis history. But after spending some time practicing with retired Pete Sampras, I think we've shortchanged Pistol Pete.
Sampras has participated in a few of the aforementioned charity/exhibition events this month, so obviously he has been practicing plenty. Since we live in such close proximity to each other in Los Angeles, working out together was a convenient fit. Our practices vary in intensity --- the main factors being how my back is feeling on that particular day and how motivated Pete is --- but the tennis Sampras is still capable of playing at 35 is astonishing.
What so-called "experts" often fail to mention (and I use that term very loosely, considering that most people who spout opinions aren't qualified to do so) is how much the evolution of rackets and string have impacted the quality of the sport. Sampras now uses a racket with a little more surface area (compared to the squash-like racket he used to employ) and his weapon of choice features the in-vogue hybrid synthetic/gut string that enables players to increase the torque of the tennis ball by staggering amounts.
With the benefits of these equipment enhancements to a shoulder that I once described as "being touched by God," the tennis that is being produced in Pete's backyard (to clarify: on only one side of the court) is beyond impressive.
I was laughed at and ridiculed in ATP Tour locker rooms a few years back when I defended John McEnroe when he was boasting about his ability to still compete at the highest levels of tennis in ideal conditions. (We were both proven right by the way, with his doubles win in San Jose earlier this year.) I will probably be mocked again when I make this statement:
Pete Sampras is currently playing at a level as high as anyone in the world except for Federer.
Now let me clarify. I'm not saying Sampras could hold up to the physical rigors of tour life, or even a best-of-five-set match. But what I am saying is that, in a best-of-three scenario, he is as good as anyone in the world right now, except for perhaps a younger version of himself --- also known as Roger Federer.
Sampras and the current world No. 1 are eerily similar in many ways, mostly in that they are the two best athletes the game has seen since Bjorn Borg dominated the ATP. Besides all of their more obvious attributes, Federer and Sampras put so much pressure on you with their court coverage, strength and ability to raise their games when it matters most.
That's why I believe the most imposing threat to Federer's stranglehold on Wimbledon is my practice partner. Pete possesses skills that could actually disrupt the Swiss master by taking his timing away, something very few people can do these days. All this being said, don't hold your breathe for some grand comeback at Wimbledon or anywhere else, for that matter.
Would Pete like to take his chances against Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon? You bet. But does he want to deal with the life of a professional tennis player again? Definitely not. And who could blame him? He had the perfect career with the perfect ending, winning the 2002 U.S. Open when everyone said he was finished. He left the sport like John Wayne, riding off into the sunset with guns blazing, something few athletes get to do.
Sampras went out on top (note to Brett Favre and Evander Holyfield). But if you're eager to see hear how accurate I am in my assessment, drive around Beverly Hills at around 1:30 p.m. a few times a week and listen for that sweet sound of a perfectly hit tennis ball. And when security chases you away, go check out Pete in an exhibition, the likes of which he has been dominating since this past fall with wins over Andy Roddick, Robby Ginepri and Todd Martin.
Good luck, Lindsay
Speaking of retired greats, the tennis world will miss Lindsay Davenport now that she is stepping away from the game to have her first child. Davenport had an incredible career, including three Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal; she was also a dedicated supporter of the U.S. Fed Cup team.
Lindsay is one of the greatest strikers of a tennis ball ever --- male or female, --- and will deservedly be remembered as one of the best ambassadors women's tennis has ever had to offer. May she find health and happiness in her life after tennis.
Outspoken ATP tennis pro Justin Gimelstob is a frequent contributor to SI.com. He is currently ranked No. 86 and is recovering from back surgery after his 11th year on tour.