Posted on: September 04th, 2002
Past and Future taking it easy before they play
- petepageSource: NY Times
[NY Times, Sept 4, 2002] - The day before his 28th major quarterfinal, Pete Sampras rested in Manhattan, working out on an exercise machine for a quick sweat.
The day before his second major quarterfinal, Andy Roddick made an appearance in street clothes at the National Tennis Center in the late afternoon to receive a two-hour treatment from the trainer Doug Spreen.
A night before their match, and a night after their tense four-set victories in the Round of 16, neither picked up a racket. That would come soon enough in their intergenerational showdown.
"It's going to be fun," the 20-year-old Roddick said with a grin, ducking into the locker room.
Roddick was 6 when Sampras turned professional. But Sampras, now 31 and seeded 17th, is not saying the past is prologue quite yet.
"I think the days of me dominating are over, but I still feel like I have a major in me," he said after his four-set victory over third-seeded Tommy Haas on Tuesday night. "We know Andy is the future."
The effect of Sampras's run could catch up to him. It is the first time since April, when he lost to Roddick in the final of the United States Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston, that Sampras has advanced to a quarterfinal.
He has played nine sets of tennis in 24 hours, starting with a five-set, serve-and-volley victory over Greg Rusedski on Monday night.
"I think last night was more tiring for him than Greg's match," Paul Annacone, Sampras's coach, said of the Haas match. "In the match with Greg, there were not too many tennis shots. But he said he feels good today."
Roddick, seeded 11th, was more banged up. He charged over Juan Ignacio Chela despite playing with a bruised left toe that he sustained in the middle of his third-round match against Alex Corretja.
"He felt a little bit better today," Spreen said. "We're doing everything to calm it down, but there was no reason to go out and reaggravate it today. He should be close to 100 percent."
Roddick would not dare give up his dream to play Sampras. "I hope it's a nightmare for him," Sampras said with a laugh.
Sampras and Roddick have met just twice, both of which Roddick won in two sets after a first-set tie breaker. Both players seem to be playing with a renewed vigor.
For the first time in a while, Roddick seems to be having fun. "I am — and this is the place to do it," he said yesterday.
Roddick has not won a tournament since beating Sampras in Houston, at times growing quieter and more intense on the court.
While Roddick can crank his serve past 140 miles an hour, Sampras has been hitting them in the range of 130 m.p.h. at the United States Open — and with more accuracy.
As Sampras predicted after losing his opening match of the warm-up tournament at the Hamlet Golf and Country Club two weeks ago, he has become a different player at the Open.
"This past week and a half, I feel like I have kind of got my game going," Sampras said. "I'm comfortable playing here, the conditions. This is our Super Bowl. I'm pretty pumped, ready to go."
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