Posted on: August 21st, 2003
Waiting Too Long for the Inevitable
- petepage[August 20, 2003 By SELENA ROBERTS]HANG the same Crayola-colored sunset over Arthur Ashe Stadium; reissue the seats for the fans who grasped the moment's perishable sweetness; allow Andre Agassi to retrace his steps to the net for an embrace of his longtime foil.
Let Bridgette Wilson glow like moonbeams once again as her husband seals match point; hand a tennis legend one more taste of an aura reclaimed after two years of decline; give Pete Sampras another chance to take his exit on the perfect cue.
Can we have a do-over? If there could only be a "re-enactment" disclaimer at the bottom corner of the screen, Sampras could recapture the opportunity to leave the game upon his 14th major title, upon the evening he flustered Agassi for old times' sake, upon the final he played with violin strings on his racket.
He had the stage to himself, all eyes on him, but couldn't quite force the word retirement from his lips after the United States Open final last September. He came tantalizingly close, saying, "To beat a rival like Andre in a major at the U.S. Open, a storybook ending, it might be nice to stop."
"But," he continued as laughter erupted, "I still want to compete, you know?"
But did he? His work ethic was already in question last season. Remember the frustration shown by Jose Higueras, Sampras's cameo coach, over his lack of interest? Remember how the easy points for Sampras had grown tedious as his body slowed? Remember how understandably distracted he had become by real-life issues like looming fatherhood?
Somehow, his mechanics took over in the press room. Out of habit, he said his will to win still drove him; his desire to compete still pushed him. In reality, his drive was in park, and everyone, including Sampras, knew it.
"I think he felt he could leave on a miracle-on-ice moment," said Pete Fischer, the original architect of Sampras's style. "My view was that he should have retired after the 2000 Wimbledon," where Sampras won his record-breaking 13th major singles title. "Then came the 2002 Open," Fischer continued. "That was a fairy tale."
Like many, Fischer believes Sampras waited a year to be sure "because he didn't want to go out like Michael Jordan."
"Jordan retired and retired, and people started saying, 'Why doesn't he see the handwriting on the wall?' " But in taking his time, Sampras must know he squandered an incandescent farewell. Those with knowledge of Sampras's plans say he is likely to call it quits officially in a ceremony on Monday night at the United States Open, using the event as the site for a retirement speech.
Sampras could have cleared his throat there last September, on the grounds where he won his first major in 1990, in front of a stadium crowd tipsy on nostalgia. He could have said goodbye back then, before the public's short-term memory kicked in, before his name disappeared this past year. Off the Tour. Off television. Off the map.
Sampras could have seized the momentum with the last point of his final match, after overwhelming Agassi with a serve as fabled as Paul Bunyan's ax, positioned to capitalize on enough good vibes to cover any criticism of his career. Too aloof to be a mentor. Too one-dimensional to win a career Grand Slam. Too bad he didn't do more for the game.
Now, Sampras could look as if he was upstaging it. No doubt the razzmatazz officials at the United States Open will make Sampras's send-off an event for the scrapbook, but there are drawbacks to a retirement announcement one year removed from its expiration date.
While there is something noble about skipping a self-indulgent retirement lap around the Tour - note Michael Chang's unending series of so-longs - Sampras risks taking a bow before a stadium half-confused by one question: "Didn't he retire already?"
No, he just stopped playing. Pat Rafter did the same thing two years ago under the guise of taking some time off to find himself, but he never found his way back from the beaches of Bermuda.
Sampras wants more, and he deserves more. As a meticulous caretaker of his legend, Sampras would probably enjoy a little tip of the hat. After all, as the man who owns more major titles than any other, he should be feted properly for a brilliant career.
Although great athletes know how to arrive, the departure often becomes a little tricky. Timing was never a problem for Sampras on the court - with his one-two-three, one-two-three choreography from service line to the net - but he never understood the art of instinct off the court.
A year ago, Sampras finally had a fair share of crowd adoration on his side. After years of watching Agassi ascend to pop-culture status, after surveying life through ESPN while his rival exhibited worldly introspection, after painting by numbers while Agassi painted with creative strokes, Sampras entered the United States Open as a sympathetic figure.
He was an aging superstar in a slump, much more lovable as a vulnerable legend. After he was demoralized on an outside stadium court by a lucky loser in the second round of Wimbledon in 2002, Sampras's voice shook as he said, "I'm not going to end my time here with this loss."
Defiantly, Sampras ended his career in a victory, not a loss. One year ago, he missed the perfect exit. Now, if there could only be a "re-enactment."
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