Sampras truly sensational on his favorite court
July 9, 2000
Trying to rank one image from Pete Sampras' celebration over another is impossible. Each stood on its own. If anyone witnessing Sampras' men's singles title at Wimbledon was annoyed by the rain delays Sunday, they at least had a rare setting to take in the best part.
Pete
raises the Wimbledon trophyAround 9 p.m. local time, with only the last
hints of summer daylight available, Sampras hoisted his Wimbledon trophy
in a scene that had to seem surreal. Had this happened in broad daylight,
the effect of cameras' flashing bulbs would not have been so dramatic.
Instead, eyewitnesses recorded history in the most magical environment possible. Two of those were among the most important people in tennis on this particular evening, Sampras' parents, Sam and Gloria.
At last, Sampras has his 13th Grand Slam singles championship after a 6-7 (12-10), 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-2 defeat of Australia's Patrick Rafter. He shakes off the tennis legend whose record he had shared, Roy Emerson, since Sampras won No. 12 last year at Wimbledon.
We don't know how long the new and well-done Nike commercial had been in the vault, but its airing minutes after Sampras won was a small stroke of brilliance all its own.
There was Emerson, congratulating Sampras on breaking his record, then threatening to whip Sampras (28) whenever Sampras joins the seniors tour. It was a light-hearted touch to a majestic moment.
Bothered by a sore left shin that made the final 10 days of the tournament painful, Sampras probably had to overcome more obstacles for this Wimbledon title than any other.
Incidentally, his run stands at seven Wimbledon singles championships in the past eight years, a 53-1 match record there during that time. "The way the past week-and-a-half has gone, it's been the most difficult," Sampras told NBC immediately after the match. "Up-and-down. Didn't feel I played my best. But today I played very well."
Especially after he regrouped from his most vulnerable moment: down by a set, trailing 1-4 in the second-set tiebreak while Rafter was to serve the next two points.
Sampras' rally from that moment on is the stuff of a champion. "I felt that was it," Sampras said, indicating he could sense he was in grave danger. "The closer he got, I got a little tight.
"As the match went on, I started to get a little rhythm in my return. This game is a matter of nerves. He felt it in the first tiebreaker. I felt it in the second."
Said Rafter: "When you play a great champion like Pete, you've got to take him when you can. But I got a little nervous. That's the way it goes."
Rafter knew he was charmed to progress this far. Only 10 months removed from major surgery to repair an injured right shoulder, the 27-year-old had offered hints it would be some time before he could return to anywhere near the top of tennis. Instead, he went one match better than his semifinal appearance last year to reach his first Wimbledon final. He simply ran into an all-time player, one determined to stake his claim to history.
"I wasn't expecting anything this year. Anything that came around this year would be a bonus," Rafter said. "This is a very big bonus... Second place isn't too bad."
Sampras has had to accept second place on occasion -- or worse, like Rafter's victory over him in the 1998 U.S. Open semifinal. On this occasion, Sampras could not accept second place. Rarely have his parents watched him compete. They haven't been able to handle the stress of it.
This time, both Sampras men cried.
"It's so important to me they can share this with me," Sampras said. "This is the best court in the world. They saw me lose in '92 in the U.S. Open, to (Stefan) Edberg. This is a great moment in my life."
It was a great moment not only in tennis, but in all of sports. A moment worthy of the unique setting -- 9 p.m. local time, darkness descending on stadium court at Wimbledon, the place Sampras loves more than any in his profession.
"This is the biggest event we have in the game," Sampras said.
"You have to do whatever you can to play."