Posted on: September 19th, 2007
Pistol Pete still has some firepower left
- petepageBy RUSTY HALL
Sep. 18, 2007 - Pete Sampras retired from tennis after beating Andre Agassi to win the 2002 U.S. Open for his record 14th Grand Slam title.
However, in the past year and half, Sampras has returned to the courts, competing in World TeamTennis and in Outback Champions Series events. And while he admits his game is not at what he considers ATP level, he's playing pretty well.
On Saturday, Sampras will stop in Frisco to take on ATP veteran Robby Ginepri in the FedEx Shootout at the Deja Blue Arena. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation, the National Junior Tennis League and the Arthur Ashe Legacy Program.
What motivates you to play in these exhibition matches?
I still enjoy playing and I'm on my way to playing a [Champions Series] event in Charlotte and Charleston [S.C.], so it's kind of on my way. And, to play someone like Robby, who's an active player, it's a good challenge for me to see where my game is at.
Robby had a fairly nice run at the U.S. Open, reaching the third round. It should be a pretty nice match.
It looks like he's playing pretty well. He's had his ups and downs through the years with injuries, but I think he's on the right track. He's always performed well at the Open, and this year he did quite well.
Exhibition matches are fun for the crowd, but how seriously do you take them?
People want to see real tennis, and they want to see me serve hard and do the things I used to be able to do. But at the same time, it isn't as cut-throat as it used to be. I tend to lighten up and have a little fun with the crowd, but you still want to play well. It's kind of a balancing act.
You've got three exhibition matches scheduled in Asia in November against Roger Federer. He looked pretty good at the Open. What do you expect?
He always looks pretty good. My wife asked me that yesterday, and I said I really don't know what to expect. This is unknown territory for me. I haven't played at a really high level in six years. Hopefully it's going to be competitive and it will be fun. There will be a lot of electricity. I think we'll add some attention to the sport, but I really don't know. I just hope I can play well. I know I'm playing fine. It's just a matter of getting through a little nerves that I might feel, being comfortable and just playing.
John McEnroe said he thought you could still make it into the second week of Wimbledon. Any chance you might give it a try?
No. Well, I'm curious sometimes. All these thoughts keep creeping into my mind and there is a curiosity, but realistically, no. I wouldn't play Wimbledon just to play it. I'd play it to win it, and to do that I would basically have to change my lifestyle, get in great shape and really, really make tennis my life again. I'm done with those days. But I do have moments of thinking how I might do in one match against someone.
A couple of young Americans, John Isner and Donald Young, looked pretty good at the Open. What are your thoughts on the state of American tennis?
I think we're headed in the right direction. Young is a guy who everyone touted as being the "Next One," and he's starting to show it a little bit. Isner, I look at a young kid to see if he has a weapon, and he has a weapon in that serve.
Does Isner remind you a little bit of you?
Maybe a little bit. As big as he serves, he's pretty happy staying back. I was a little more about rushing to the net. Our serves are pretty big, and him being 6-foot-10, I actually needed to see it to believe it because everybody was talking about it. It's absolutely a monster serve.
Isner turning pro after playing college tennis at Georgia is a nice story. Your sister (UCLA coach Stella Sampras Webster) has a lot to do with college tennis, so that's got to be nice to see a kid come that route. You don't see it very often.
It is nice to see. He probably needed a year or two to develop his body and his game, and now he's on his way to doing some good things.
I hear Gov. Rick Perry is going to make you an honorary Texan on Saturday night. Have you been working on your accent?
Ah, no. I don't have much of one. But I'm looking forward to that.
FedEx Shootout
Featuring Pete Sampras vs. Robby Ginepri
7 p.m. Saturday, Dr Pepper StarCenter, Deja Blue Arena, Frisco
Tickets:www.tickets.com or by calling 214-467-8277 Prices: $28.50, $47.50 and $77.50
Source: Star-Telegram
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