Samprasfanz

May 6, 2007 BOSTON (AP) – Pete Sampras advanced to the final in his first competitive tournament start in nearly five years, beating John McEnroe 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday night in the Champions Cup. “I hit the ball better today than I did in my prime because of the bigger racket,” Sampras said. “I think I can still play at a pretty high level. I can probably compete against anyone in the world today just one match, two sets.” After double-faulting in the opening game, Sampras rebounded to win the first three games of the first set. He never trailed in the second set, and took the lead for good after breaking to go up 2-1. The 35-year-old Sampras had six aces, and kept McEnroe off guard with an array of well-placed baseline … Read entire article »

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May 4, 2007 BY MIKE SZOSTAK, Providence Journal BOSTON – Pete Sampras is back, and the way he hit the ball last night, it’s like he never left. Crushing serves for aces, slicing backhand approaches and volleying crisp winners, the 14-time Grand Slam singles champion played his first competitive match in nearly five years, and he was good. He defeated Petr Korda, 6-1, 6-2, in the feature match of the Champions Cup Boston, the second stop on Hall of Famer Jim Courier’s Outback Champions Series. John McEnroe, the best 48-year-old tennis player in the world, many believe, beat local favorite Tim Mayotte, 6-1, 7-5, in the first match at the striking Agganis Arena. Mayotte, who grew up in Springfield, trained with Boston pro Bill Drake while on the pro tour in the 1980s … Read entire article »

Pete Sampras continued his return to competitive tennis in style after a 6-2 6-1 defeat of Tim Mayotte during the second night of action in the Champions Cup Boston at Agganis Arena. The game was equal parts tennis and entertainment as the two competitors played to the crowd and chatted back and forth with each other and the line judges. The duo even allowed a ball boy and ball girl to play a point during the match. Sampras dominated the Massachusetts native with a powerful serve and didn’t drop a service game during the match. The 35-year-old took the first set with relative ease, breaking Mayotte in the third game and carrying that momentum to a 6-2 victory. Mayotte, a last minute replacement for Mats Wilander, struggled to get his own serve going and … Read entire article »

May 3, 2007 BOSTON (AP) — Pete Sampras routed Petr Korda 6-1, 6-2 in the opening round of the Champions Cup on Thursday, the 14-time major winner’s first tournament in nearly five years. In the first match, John McEnroe beat Tim Mayotte 6-1, 7-5. But the night belonged to Sampras, who hadn’t played in a competitive match since beating Andre Agassi in the 2002 U.S. Open final. “It was fun — it was nice playing in the crowd,” Sampras said. “I felt excited walking out there with a nice ovation. This is why I decided to play.” The 35-year-old Sampras, who will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in July, didn’t touch a racket for nearly three years before picking up the sport again last summer to get in better … Read entire article »

By JOEY JOHNSTON The Tampa TribunePublished: Apr 29, 2007 TAMPA – Pete Sampras was in mid-ball toss, about to unleash his serve. “Please, Pete, be gentle,” said doubles opponent Rennae Stubbs, into her microphone, as the crowd of 9,002 chuckled in unison during Saturday night’s lighthearted Mercedes-Benz Classic tennis exhibition at the St. Pete Times Forum. Even Sampras doubled over in laughter. Then, regaining his composure, he smacked an ace. Just like old times. “This was fun,” Sampras said. Sure, he was older (35) and certainly less focused than during his last major competitive effort (winning the 2002 U.S. Open), but in many ways, it was like seeing a ghost. “Pete kind of pulled a Greta Garbo on us,” said Jim Courier, the Dade City native and former No. 1-ranked player who hosted the fourth … Read entire article »