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News on Sampras

Posted on: July 13th, 2007

Hall of Fame opens door for tennis great Pete Sampras

- petepage

NEWPORT — The man who dominated professional tennis throughout the '90s, Pete Sampras, will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport on Saturday, July 14. After a stellar career that included seven Wimbledon singles titles, Sampras retired in 2002 having earned more than $43 million in prize money — more than anyone playing professional tennis to date.

When Sampras won his last Wimbledon title in 2000, he tied the record of seven Wimbledon men's singles championships, held by fellow hall of fame membe, William Renshaw. That mark had stood for 111 years. It may not take that long before that shared accomplishment is finally eclipsed. Switzerland's Roger Federer, who captured his fifth Wimbledon crown last weekend, currently has the best chance to break the Sampras-Renshaw Wimbledon men's championship record.

Sampras, a winner of a record 14 tennis grand slam single titles, will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame as part of the Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships tournament being played in Newport through Sunday, July 15. Sampras will be joined by three others in the 2007 class of inductees: Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, the three-time French Open women's singles champion and the first Spaniard to capture the US Open; Sweden's first grand slam title winner, Sven Davidson, and the "Dean" of tennis photography, Russ Adams.

The 36-year old Sampras was born in Washington, D.C. His parents relocated to Los Angeles when he was seven and the move offered him the opportunity to develop his tennis passion and skills year round. At age 19, the Southern California teen was the youngest player to win the US Open. In addition to his five US Open singles titles (1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2002), a record he shares with 1998 fellow hall of fame inductee Jimmy Connors, Sampras also holds two Australian Open titles.

Sampras won the first of his seven Wimbledon titles in 1993. Championships at the All England Tennis and Croquet Club were again earned by Sampras in 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998 and 1999 until he tied the Wimbledon championship record in 2000. He was honored as the ATP Player of the Year from 1993 to 1998, a record six consecutive years. He won the ATP World Championships five times (1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999), a record he shares with 2001 hall of fame inductee Ivan Lendl.

Sampras' last and final appearance as an ATP pro was at the 2002 US Open, his final grand slam champioship. In Davis Cup action, Sampras was a U.S. team member for eight years (1991-2, 1994-5, 1997, 1999-00 and 2002), leading the U.S. to Davis Cup victories in 1992 and 1995. The colorful tennis journalist Bud Collins named him as one of the top five men's tennis players of all-time. Sampras will compete on grass courts again on Sunday, when he will appear at the International Tennis Hall of Fame casino courts in an exhibition match with other professional tennis legends.

Established in 1954, and recognized in 1986 as the sport of tennis' official hall of fame by the International Tennis Federation, the governing body of tennis, the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport currently has 200 enshrined from 18 countries.

Source: East Bay News

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