Posted on: September 02nd, 2002
Sampras is respected but not feared
- petepageSource: John Gustafson, ESPN
NEW YORK -- He may not put the fear of God into opponents anymore, but in his five-set victory over Canadian-turned-Brit Greg Rusedski on Monday evening, Pete Sampras proved why he still draws the comparison to the almighty.
The winless tournament streak stands at 33, but that hasn't stopped Pistol Pete's opponents from singing his praises even as they beat him up on the court.
Roger Federer, who ended Sampras' Wimbledon streak in 2001, still calls that win over his hero one of his most emotional. And just last week, Marat Safin, who beat Sampras in the 2000 U.S. Open before losing to him in last year's semis, felt uncomfortable when he was asked to discuss if Sampras was on his way out.
"He's the best player of all-time," Safin said. "For me, the way he controls tennis for last six years, is amazing. Six years No. 1 in the world, 13 Grand Slams. I cannot even talk about him. It's like talking about God."
Of course, there are the unbelievers. Case in point, the 33rd-seeded Rusedski, who pushed Sampras to the brink Monday night.
"I'd be surprised if he wins his next match against Haas," Rusedski said following his 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 4-6 loss to Sampras on Louis Armstrong Stadium court. "He's just not the same player."
If Jan-Michael Gambill is, as he stated following his upset of Carlos Moya, "a real Gemini," then Rusedski, who turns 29 on Sept. 6, is the quintessential Virgo. With bananas placed neatly on the chair next to him and bottles of Evian equidistant from each other near his feet, the left-handed serve-and-volley specialist is the Nomar Garciaparra of men's tennis, a perfectionist who constantly fidgets on the court. He spends so much time straightening his shoe tongues and pulling up his socks that during the match with Sampras one fan finally admonished him saying, "Hey Greg. Leave the socks alone."
Rusedski, a 1997 finalist here, doesn't care. He just keeps serving aces. Heading into his third-round match with Sampras, he had won eight straight matches dating back to his tournament crown at Indianapolis. And despite a 1-8 record against Pete, Rusedski seemed poised to take out 31-year-old Sampras after emerging from a tumultuous second-round match against Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan that included wild crowd theatrics and Bronx cheers. Even after Monday night's loss, he maintained that Sampras hadn't so much as beaten him as he had lost by giving his opponent too much respect and squandering key points.
The first came Sunday night when he blew a set point before the rain returned, postponing the match with Rusedski leading 5-4. Then, after posting a couple of mini-breaks in the tiebreaker, Rusedski gave it back with two double faults. Tied at a set apiece, Rusedski seemed to right himself by heading into the third set tiebreaker with booming aces of 128, 128 and 126 mph. Sampras rebounded in the breaker, finishing with a down-the-line winner (one of 81 for Pete on the night) that left Rusedski staring in disbelief. In the fourth set, the Brit rebounded to break Sampras and win 6-3, but with Sampras serving 4-5 in the fifth, the 13-time Grand Slam champ came up big with three forehand passing shots before Rusedski missed long to close out the match.
Yet, despite the loss and his history against Sampras, the word "choke" was not bantered about in the postmatch. In fact, Sampras had nothing but praise for Rusedski, who had just 25 unforced errors. "I didn't see many nerves by Greg," Sampras said. "I thought he played pretty flawless."
Rusedski, who noted before the match that the sense of Sampras' invincibility isn't there anymore, was equally blunt following the loss. Asked to break down where the former No. 1 is lacking, Rusedski said: "You've got to look at the returns, for one. A lot of second serves. Guys who return better will really punish him for that. I just think the movement is not the same and the fitness is not the same. He's still a good player, no question about it. But he's not a great player."
And not God. Still, as the men's game searches for its next big name, the accomplishments of Sampras come into focus. He may not be a great player anymore, but the fact that he still chases that elusive 14th Slam, that he believes in himself even when no one else does, says a lot. The guy still loves the competition and like it or not, he's going out on his own terms. And he's still alive.
"You know, I'm not quite as dominant as I once was," he said, running a hand through his thinning hair. "But I enjoy playing. That's why I'm still here. I look forward to the challenge and each match gets a little tougher. I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
Recent Headlines
April 01, 2012
November 20, 2011
October 29, 2011
October 01, 2011
July 13, 2011
- "Li Na and Friends" to square off with Sampras and others at two-day tennis event in Wuhan - petepage
June 18, 2011
May 04, 2011
Back to News