Posted on: July 23rd, 2007
Clash of the tennis titans at JPJ Arena
- petepageEven with his retirement, Pete Sampras never seemed destined for a Hertz commercial, potbelly hanging over red-and-blue plaid shorts.
With polite applause and equally reserved chuckles (mostly at, against or with Sampras’ opponent, John McEnroe), Charlottesville tennis fans got a glimpse of the really and truly athletic-yet-retired Sampras on Friday at the John Paul Jones Arena, which had traded its golden hardwood for a Smurf-blue tennis surface.
The place provided an intimate setting for the “Serving up Aces” exhibition, and the 4,000 or so fans seemed to like what they got from two of the greatest American tennis players of all time.
Both players moved well, hitting deft volleys and often finishing off long rallies with a flourish. And fans received the long match they wanted. It seemed at any point that Sampras could will the match over, but it went the distance: Sampras won 6-3, 6-7 (5), 10-8. The last set was a tiebreaker, first to 10 points.
There was McEnroe, lefty specialist known just as much for his temper as his tennis prowess, looking at lines, guffawing at umpires and turning white-haired umps even whiter. From the beginning, it was clear McEnroe would have an uphill battle: At 36, Sampras is 12 years McEnroe’s junior.
“[McEnroe] has his fans - they’re a unique group,” said Bill Farris, a Sampras fan. “If he hadn’t done something along those lines, they would have been disappointed.”
It was clear, though, that both players were there to play, not just entertain. McEnroe asked, quite firmly and with a prominent scowl, for folks to stop talking during his serve, instructions relayed by the umpire.
Likely on his mind were the two previous defeats he suffered at the hands of Sampras on the exhibition tour and maybe even the three before that when both were on the pro circuit. Sampras showed off his serve, battling back, in one game, from a 40-love deficit with classic Sampras poise and the big-gun serve.
The two famously played in the 1990 U.S. Open, with McEnroe getting a set off the still-budding Sampras but falling in the end. For those who remember that match and the two greats, they saw what they remembered – minus a few mph’s on the serve and plus a millimeter in bald spot. But there was Pistol Pete, the all-time leader in Grand Slam wins, looking pensively at his strings, the stoic face mysteriously contemplating whatever it is Sampras contemplates. There was Mac, yelling an occasional expletive and throwing the occasional racket.
“We want to see the big serve,” said Thomas Meert, 19, talking about Sampras. “And he’s not that old, if you think about it.”
Source: Daily Progress
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