December 10, 2006
Sampras' game may be ready for US senior circuit
Pete on missing French title: 'I should have tried a bigger racket'
By Ron Cioffi
FROM KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY OUTSIDE ATLANTA, GA. --- The pistol is cocked and it surely is loaded.
"Pistol" Pete Sampras is firing like a 24-year-old. After defeating Robby Ginepri in back-to-back exhibitions, the all-time Grand Slam record holder told the crowd, "I still have a few tools in the shed."
Sampras' return to tennis --- a few exhibitions and sub-par play in the '06 World TeamTennis season --- hit a high point this weekend. After thumping Ginepri in straight sets in Boise, Idaho on Friday, Sampras flew into Atlanta for a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 victory.
The 35-year-old was giving away 11 years and hometown advantage to Ginepri, who lives Kennesaw, a suburb in the sprawling Atlanta metro area. "I don't care if you're the hometown boy," he shouted to Ginepri after easily holding his first service game.
What bodes well for American tennis fans is Sampras' comments that he considering joining Jim Courier's Outback Championship Series tour next year.
The Sun-Sentinel reported Courier said his friend, Sampras, is "very interested in playing, and he seems eager to be on that path."
"Jim's talked to me and I am considering it. Nothing's planned right now," Sampras said in an Atlanta press conference. "You never know," he added. "Who would have thought Jimmy Connors would be coaching right now?"
The seven-time Wimbledon seems to have more on his mind than playing with his kids and working on his self-proclaimed mediocre golf game. Pistol Pete has been practicing his tennis strokes three to four times a week and visits the gym almost every day.
"A man's got to work," he said. "I still have a passion for the game. Playing tennis adds structure to my life."
Hearing that Andre Agassi has been seen on the tennis courts only so shortly after his retirement at this year's U.S. Open, Sampras was taken aback. "I was shocked. After I retired, I didn't want to pick up a racket for months. ... I've got to talk [Agassi] in the next few months."
Sampras brought a steady and confident game here, delivering booming aces, well-placed spin serves and razor-sharp returns. Of course, he was helped by glossy super-fast SportCourt surface that played like the basketball court it was covering up. On one down-the-middle winner, Ginepri didn't have enough time to move five feet to get his racket on the ball. In his fifth set on both sides of the continent in 24 hours, Sampras did not seem winded in the least.
Though his backhand got a little loose in the second set, it was Sampras' personality and wit that was loose throughout the evening. When Ginepri couldn't run down a drop shot, he tossed his racket across the net. Pete didn't return it, but picked it up and tossed in deep into the crowd.
There is no doubt sold-out crowd had one thing on its mind: throwing down its love on Sampras. MC Wayne Bryan boomingly announced him as "the greatest player ever" and the Atlanta fans showed their appreciation for his accomplishments as much as for his legendary running forehand.
Few interviews with Sampras don't include the questions about how he would stack up against Roger Federer. Sampras admitted that Federer is well on his way to breaking all the Californian's records. "Federer's a tremendous player. He's won Wimbledon and he stays back."
Sampras seemed upbeat on the state of men's American tennis, citing the success of Andy Roddick, James Blake and Ginepri., who had a down 2006 But, he conceded, the glory days of the 1990s --- Sampras, Agassi, Courier and Michael Chang --- will be hard for the US to repeat.
On the Slam that eluded Sampras --- Roland Garros --- is still a subject he thinks about. "I should have tried a bigger racket. I'm a stubborn guy and I didn't want to change. There are some places where you feel comfortable and one where you fell a little bit extra pressure."
Often criticized for not playing enough preparatory European clay-court tournaments, he said he tried playing just a few in some years and numerous ones in others. "But, neither strategy worked," he added a bit glumly about the only jewel missing from this champion's crown.