August 2007
Sampras Seven
By Bud Collins
You've heard of crab grass.
But what about a grass crab? That was Pete Sampras the first time around at Wimbledon, crabby about grass the way kids are about spinach or broccoli. It's green and I don't want any. Take it away.
"I hated grass. Detested it," Pete is saying a few weeks ago in Boston where he re-ignited his career --- sort of --- by shedding five years of rust among promoter-player Jim Courier's almost-elders. Beating Petr Korda, Tim Mayotte, John McEnroe and Todd Martin, he won the Outback Champions Cup stopover.
"I thought grass was an unfair surface. The bounces were awful or non-existent. I didn't want to have anything to do with it." As he talks about his teen green phobia, Pete is smiling the smile of a man who overcame a fear of plying his trade on lawns to become probably the greatest of all grass court champions. Seven Wimbledon titles attest to that.
Sampras despising turf? Sounds as wacky as Maria Sharapova giving up bananas and photo shoots, or George W. Bush telling the truth. Obviously Pete got over it, but it took a while.
I remember how miserable he looked in 1989 at Beckenham, a Wimbledon tune-up in London. Rain was splattering, of course, and had been for some time. When it stopped he would have to play on a strange, soggy court. He couldn't wait to get past that and his Wimbledon debut, and return to American asphalt, as friendly as peanut butter.
His first Wimbledon trial failed to last much more than an hour. "I didn't know what was going on," says Pete. Ranked No. 86, he was booted, 7-5, 7-6(7-5), 6-3, by No. 244 Todd Woodbridge. This was well before Woodbridge became a Hall of Fame doubles candidate with Mark Woodforde. Still, as an Aussie, he knew grass.
The next year was no different. Seeded 12th Pete was quickly gone, brushed aside by No. 41, South African Christo van Rensburg, 7-6, 7-5, 7-6. Yet two months later Sampras became the greenest winner of the U.S. Open, a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, victory over foremost rival-to-be Andre Agassi. How's that for a crazy reversal --- losing a major at the starting gate and crossing the finish line first in the next one!
But, was he ever going to win a match at WImbledon? Yes. In 1991, seeded 8th, he had a pigeon in a forgettable Brazilian qualifier, No.140 Danilo Marcelino, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2. However, Californian Derek Rostagno, No. 24, broke up the parade, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.
Not 'til 1992 did Pete begin to feel comfy on the greensward, and think the Big W just might become his Wonderland.
"A lot came together," he says. "I was holding serve all right, but breaking was a problem. My coach Tim [Gullikson] convinced me to shorten my backswing, particularly the backhand, to chip and charge, attack second serves. I was almost 22, maturing. I was getting over pouting when things didn't go my way. Grass was now OK, really good for me."
In '92, seeded 5th, he was a contender, roaring through Andrei Cherkasov, Woodbridge (sweet revenge?), Scott Davis, Arnaud Boetsch, and dethroning the Incumbent champ, Michael Stich, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. In a semifinal fiesta of serious serving, he couldn't quite keep up with Goran Ivanisevic, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 6-2, and the title would go to Agassi. "I was still having trouble winning tie-breakers," Pete says.
Nevertheless, all was in place for the spree of '93. The first in a procession of seven titles was accomplished in Pete's kind of weather: dry and hot. It was the first Wimbledon free of rainfall in 16 years. He almost let it get away to nemesis Agassi in the quarters, evicting the champ, 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4. Then he took care of another champion, Boris Becker, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Feeling good because the title would go to an American no matter what, Pete showed great improvement in the stickiness of tie-breakers. Narrowly he won the first two, faltered, then hung on in the fourth to beat another pal, Jim Courier, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3.
The Sampras Saga was on. From 1993, he would lose merely three of his remaining 60 matches in the venerable ball yard. A streak of three titles and 25 matches was snipped by champ-to-be Richard Krajicek in 1996. Another of four titles and 31 matches was terminated by none other than 19-years-old Roger Federer in 2001.
Musing, Pete says, "I never could have imagined that I'd go past Bjorn Borg's five titles. Wimbledon became very dear to me. I believe the high and the low of my career were there. In 2000, breaking the record with my parents there, that was really tremendous." After stalking Roy Emmo's 33-year-old mark of a dozen singles majors by beating another popular Aussie, Patrick Rafter for a 13th, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 6-2. Though Rafter had led 4-point-to-1 in the second set tie-breaker, with serves to come, Pete fought back to close dramatically at nightfall.
"But," he says, "losing my last Wimbledon match [second round, 2002] to a qualifier, George Bastl, hurt. That was the low, not the way I wanted to go out." Alas, that was surprisingly inconsiderate scheduling, railroading Mr. Wimbledon to cramped Court 2, the infamous Graveyard, when he belonged on Centre or Court 1. Borg was never put on Court 2 after he became the champ in 1976.
Never mind. Not long thereafter Pete went out with a biggest bye-bye bang by winning the U.S.Open, his 14th major --- and walked away uniquely, happily. No other great has departed on such a high.
Oh, yes, I know you Willie Renshaw idolators will point out that Willie the Limey also won seven Wimbledon titles, 1881 through 1886 plus 1889. Jolly good. But, somehow, I have to give the edge to Pete as the all-time superman of SW19, the class of the grass he used to regard as poison ivy.
Silky smooth Sampras's greatness can be measured by the stunning quality of his spiky opposition. Pete was battling and controlling --- remember a record six successive years at No. 1? --- such major champs as Agassi, Courier, Korda, Michael Chang, Stefan Edberg, Becker, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Krajicek, Rafter, Ivanisevic, Stich in their primes as well as aging Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe. Did anybody else face such a murderers' row of foes?
I'm glad he outgrew being crabby about grass. Some folks smoke grass. With his pinpoint serves and devastating volleys, Pete made it smoke.