Posted on: September 05th, 2002
Sampras Isn`t Ready to Bow to Youth Just Yet
- petepageBy Lynn Zinser, NY Times
Up to his baby whiskers in frustration, with his moment to validate his hype quickly becoming a legend's chance to reclaim his, Andy Roddick unleashed his anger on a third-set shot that dived at Pete Sampras's shoelaces.
Somehow, the aging, slumping, fading Sampras responded with the flexibility of a Slinky, bending his knees into a full squat to flick a half-volley over the tape for a winner and toying with Roddick's despair.
At age 20, Roddick wasn't ready for this. He wasn't prepared for the buzz inside Arthur Ashe Stadium last night, the pressure of facing an idol in a major tournament or the resolve Sampras was about to reveal.
At age 31, Sampras was in his comfort zone. He thrived on the amped-up atmosphere, funneled the energy into his legs and discovered yet another way to expose Greg Rusedski's ignorance.
"Greg thought he was over the hill," said Sampras's coach, Paul Annacone. "But we see what Pete can do when his mind is set on it."
What he did was so easy, it left fans numb. Over 90 minutes, Sampras refused to depart so that Roddick could arrive, winning by 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, advancing to the semifinals at the United States Open and acting anything but his age.
"Trust me, I'm 31," Sampras said. "These are big moments, playing Andy in a night match. He's the young up-and-comer that has a great future. I'm pumped up. No question, I kind of feed off the energy at play here.
"Everything combined, I got off to a great start, kind of set the tone early. Andy wasn't quite at the top of his game. He seemed a bit low. I've seen him more upbeat."
Two nights ago, the class clown in Roddick spilled onto the court in an energized, entertaining display against Juan Ignacio Chela. Roddick, the young star who had let expectations squeeze the fun out of tennis for him this year, was back to loving the game. He high-fived the crowd after pulling off a video-game-style shot, made cartoon faces as he strutted around the court and proclaimed, "This is my house."
He couldn't do that against Sampras. This was the old man's house. But Roddick did not appear to suppress his antics in reverence to Sampras. He just never got the good vibe going. Before he knew it, he was down by two sets on his way to losing his serve early in the third set.
"Disappointing, yes," Roddick said. "But it's a learning experience. It's still a learning experience. I'll try my best to soak it up. I think I'll have my moment here someday."
It is not his time, not yet. Sampras is still kicking, but he is not into moral victories. He is desperate to vanquish the most recited statistic in tennis: Sampras has not won a major since his record 13th at the 2000 Wimbledon, or taken any title in 33 tournaments.
Two more matches, and that statistic dies. Before he can play a final, Sampras will have to get by Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands tomorrow in one semifinal, while top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt plays sixth-seeded Andre Agassi in the other.
The 24th-seeded Schalken is the unknown in the mix of big stars, but he earned his way into his first major semifinal by outlasting the batteries in the explosive forehand of Chile's Fernando González, with a 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (2) victory after 3 hours 43 minutes in Ashe Stadium.
"It's still not settled in my mind, because my name is between three very good players," Schalken said. "It feels very good."
He exited his match under the hot sun and left the cool night air for the big-ticket item: Sampras vs. Roddick. To some, it was now vs. then.
Long before the first serve, there was an image of the young Sampras on the jumbo screen inside the stadium, a vision of a bushy-haired kid with the physique of a ball boy and a serve that deserved a patent. Minutes later, Roddick came through the stadium tunnel arriving as America's current phenom, trailed by Sampras, the symbol of days gone by.
"You guys say Pete is washed up," Roddick said. "I've never said it. I don't think many players doubt his capabilities. He's had maybe some subpar performances, but I don't think anybody doubts the fact that he's capable of great tennis still."
Except for Rusedski. Moments after his loss to Sampras on Monday, he suggested that Sampras would not win another match this week, questioning what was left in his body.
Resilience was not an issue last night. Sampras didn't have to find out how his body would handle a fifth set. He didn't let it get that far.
Sampras sent that message in the second game of the match. He put pressure on Roddick by handling his 130-mile-an-hour serve with a timeless wrist snap. On break point against Roddick, Sampras's reflexes were almost gaudy. As Roddick rifled a shot down the line, Sampras turned his back, stabbed at a drop volley and looked over his shoulder as it landed for a winner.
"It's just confidence out there," Sampras said. "I'm just going for shots, making them. It's clicking. I've been waiting all year for it to click."
It was bad timing for Roddick, who played with a bruised left foot but said it did not limit his mobility. He did not know how to react to Sampras's precision, which resulted in 43 winners to only 22 errors.
Humiliation is not easy to handle. In the second set, upset with an overrule on a Sampras serve, Roddick told the chair umpire, Tony Nimmons: "Stop it. Let's not let this get personal. This is out of control."
In truth, Roddick was the one out of control. He could not keep his misguided backhand in the court or maintain his patience during rallies. Sampras was methodical, hardly looking up in between his 13 aces, reaching back to uncork winners with exact timing.
One hour into the match, Sampras was up by two sets to none, stunning everyone looking on, including Boris Becker. His advice to Roddick? "Get out of the stadium," he said in a cameo as a television analyst.
Roddick simply could not take the expectations. In his opening service game of the third set, Roddick ripped a horrible backhand into the net on break point. At least the agony didn't last long. Class was over after 90 minutes.
"Look at Pete's record in night matches," Roddick said, referring to Sampras's 20-0 night mark. "Look at the way he plays the U.S. Open. He has come in the last two years with people saying, `What if, what if, what if?' But Pete always backs it up."
Sampras had the answer to youth last night: wisdom.
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