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Neither Sampras nor Hewitt backs down in exhibition match Tuesday, February 17, 2009 There are flashbacks when the 37-year-old mind of Pete Sampras thinks he’s in his 20s again, rippin’ and roarin’ to 14 Grand Slam championships, $43 million in prize money and six straight years as the No. 1 ranked tennis player on the planet. “When I serve, hit a crisp volley and move well, it feels good when I sort of hold my own,” said Sampras, who won the singles title here in the Memphis tour event in 1996. “That’s the way I was taught to play. Bring the gas and be aggressive.” Then, there are reality checks, like on Monday night in Sampras’ 7-5, 6-4 exhibition loss at The Racquet Club to current touring pro Lleyton Hewitt of Australia, almost nine years … Read entire article »

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For Sampras, the body and mind now say ‘no way’ MEMPHIS – Six hours before he played Lleyton Hewitt on Monday night, Pete Sampras sported what appeared to be a three-day-old beard and talked almost as much about his sore back and arm as he did about the current state of his game. “I’m 37. Sometimes I feel like a senior,” said Sampras, only a few days removed from an appearance on the 30-and-older Champions circuit. “But I can still serve OK.” As if the 14-time Grand Slam winner needed to prove it, he went out and drilled 10 of his first 11 first serves in the exhibition match before a thrilled sold-out stadium court crowd at The Racquet Club. “I pride myself on my return of serve, but some of those I couldn’t … Read entire article »

Monday, February 16, 2009 There was a period, from 1992 to 2000, when Americans — well, Pete Sampas and Andre Agassi — had a monopoly on the sport’s marquee Grand Slam. Sampras won Wimbledon seven times during that stretch and Agassi claimed the 1992 title. In roughly the same era, Agassi captured four Australian Open and two U.S. Open titles and Jim Courier won two French Open titles and two Australian Opens. Since those halcyon days, Americans have been relatively absent from the finals of majors. Andy Roddick won the 2003 U.S. Open, his only Grand Slam title, and he reached the finals of Wimbleon in 2005 and the U.S. Open in 2006. But since his U.S. Open win, Roddick is the only American who has reached the final of a Grand Slam. The … Read entire article »

Audio interview of Pete in time for his appearance in the Champions Cup in Boston Link Tweet … Read entire article »

Pete defeats Todd Martin in their semi-finals match 6-3, 6-4. He will face John McEnroe on Sunday for the title. Tweet … Read entire article »