February 19, 2008
A joyful lesson from the master
By Bruce Jenkins
To understand why Pete Sampras isn't making a full-fledged comeback --- and a lot of people were wondering after he dismantled Tommy Haas in a San Jose exhibition Monday night --- you have to remember what some consider the most telling achievement of his tennis career.
It wasn't his record 14 major titles, although that gave him a legitimate claim as the greatest player of all time. It wasn't the seven championships at Wimbledon, a feat matched only by a fellow from the 19th century. It's the fact that for six straight years, Sampras finished the year as the world's No. 1-ranked player.
It's a feat of almost inconceivable dedication, made all the more amazing by its relative obscurity. For most fans, the tennis year ends at the U.S. Open in September. They don't much care who's ranked No. 1 in December. The mainstream media doesn't give it much play, either. But it meant the world to Sampras. The previous record was five straight years, held by Jimmy Connors, and when Sampras crossed that threshold in 1998, it stamped him as one of the most durable, focused athletes in the history of sports.
So we'll get only glimpses of Sampras, now a very spry 36, and we'll get some moments. In an entertaining and good-natured 6-4, 6-2 victory over Haas, christening the annual SAP Open at HP Pavilion, Sampras unveiled a pretty solid version of the booming serves, the crisp volleys and the leaping overheads that characterized his run to history.
We just won't get Sampras for very long. Matches like Monday night's, or the looming March 10 exhibition against Roger Federer at Madison Square Garden, are about all he needs.
"To really come back, you need a reason," said Sampras. "I don't have a reason. I have a wonderful life with my wife and two kids. I don't miss the limelight. I don't need the money. When I retired (shortly after winning the 2002 U.S. Open), I was emotionally spent. I had nothing left in the tank. And still, there are days when I wake up and the last thing I want to do is play tennis."
"This is all about the enjoyment of playing," said Sampras. "If I can play a few exhibitions now and then, it's a way to stay in shape, be competitive, be focused on something. It's fun for me. It's a challenge. Nothing more than that."
Sampras took the court to a rousing ovation from a near-sellout crowd of 8,812, and these people were pumped to see the master. There's a certain amount of nostalgia to the mere sight of Sampras, but his compelling serve-and-volley style has become nearly extinct in the men's game. You'll see it from Ivo Karlovic, Max Mirnyi, Taylor Dent when he's healthy, a few others, but nothing even close at the game's elite level.
"It's a dying game," said Sampras, who grew up idolizing Rod Laver, abandoned his two-handed backhand at an early age and patterned himself after the great players of the 1950s and 60s. "It's gone, really. Nobody really wants to come in. Even Roger, who played serve-and-volley when he beat me at Wimbledon (2001, their only meeting on tour), stopped doing it. Everybody's staying back, just hitting the crap out of the ball, not taking those risks. It's not an easy thing --- it takes years to really perfect. But I miss seeing it."
So does Haas, who realized this match was mostly about style, and a glimpse into the past. "It's a great feeling to be on court against probably the greatest player ever," said Haas, the tour veteran who once ranked No. 2 in the world. "It's an honor. Pete had the best serve ever, in my eyes --- first and second serve. And he was a great volleyer. He still does it pretty well."
Sampras has cautioned people not to read too much into his three-match exhibition series against Federer --- a couple of straight-set losses, then a 7-6, 6-4 win at Macau in late November. Insiders claim that Federer was hardly extending himself, perhaps giving Sampras a bit of glory, and it's conceivable the two men plotted out a rough strategy beforehand.
Far more relevant are the snapshots. On three occasions against Haas, each more spectacular than the last, Sampras unleashed his flying tomahawk of a forehand overhead smash. The sight of it was both stunning and refreshing, like watching George Gervin's finger-roll in a Legends game, or the famous hitch in Arnold Palmer's swing on the first tee at the Masters.
"I'm happy to be retired," Sampras said more than once this night. Wise decision, too. He should know that when it comes to visits, he can drop in any time.