Sampras upset by teenager Roddick
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, Sun Sentinel, Miami
Herald
March 25, 2001
At the third round of the Ericsson Open, Pete Sampras was ousted by Andy
Roddick 6-7 (2), 3-6. Roddick, 18 named as the future of US tennis, played
an almost flawless tennis, committing only 5 unforced errors and produced
27 winners.
"I give him full
credit," Sampras said. "He really played great, with no fear.
He made me play quite a bit. I had to hit a lot of low volleys, he didn't
miss much. He was just swinging away and having fun. He has a big game,
a big serve. He's serving consistently in the 130s (mph) and making them.
That's pretty tough to play against.
Roddick's serve reached 138 mph three times. At 40-love in the eighth game
of the first set, he sizzled a 136 mph shot that jammed Sampras so badly
he was nicked by the ball as it caromed off his racket.
At matchpoint, after Sampras netted a backhand, Roddick took off his cap
out of respect and rushed to the net to shake Sampras' hand.
"The way he played today, the future of American tennis definitely
looks good," Sampras said. "He really is the future, the beginning
of a new American breed. He is young. He is just going to get better and
better."
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2001 Tennis Masters - Ericsson Open
Post-Match Interview
Pete Sampras loses to Andy Roddick
6-7, 3-6
March 25, 2001
THE MODERATOR: First question.
Q. Do you think the tiebreaker suddenly made him feel invincible?
PETE SAMPRAS: Pretty much. You know, I got a little unfortunate there in
the breaker. Get that miss-hit lob and made it 4-love. He really played
great. He was kind of in the zone there for a while and serving big, and
second serve had a lot of pop on it and hardly missed. You know, things
really didn't go my way today and I give him full credit. He really played
great, played with no fear and -- but the first set was a big part of the
match, you know. Start serving there in the first couple points of the breaker,
it's not easy. But he played great.
Q. Impressed with his returns?
PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, I mean he was, you know, making me play quite a bit.
Hitting a lot of low volleys, didn't miss much. Was just swinging away and
having fun. That's always definitely the case when you're just starting
out. So he, you know, he's got a big game. He's got a big serve. He's serving
consistently in the 130s and making them. That's pretty tough to play against.
So you put that, you know, with his returns and the way he was hitting his
groundies, I mean, he was kind of on fire there.
Q. You saw the trainer close to the end. Is there a physical problem?
PETE SAMPRAS: No. There was no trainer.
Q. Can you talk about Roddick as a promising young star in American tennis?
Is he the real-deal?
PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, I mean the way he played today, he's definitely the
future of American tennis is looking very good. I mean, the way he competes
and the way he plays, he really is the future. You know, he's still very
young and he's -- he can go out there and kind of swing away. Once that
P word hits him, things are a little bit different. But when you have a
weapon like that, serving that big, it's a -- nice to have that in the arsenal.
And he possesses a big cannon. That's a big, big shot for him.
Q. You're as aware of everyone else as the hype around a match like this,
the future of American tennis, hot young guy. At this stage of your career,
at one point that would fire you up, kind of maybe not rivalry, but does
it still matter to you?
PETE SAMPRAS: Sure, sure. Absolutely. I mean, he's the beginning of a new
American breed. I'm obviously a little bit older than he is so I'm trying
to fend him off. Not only Roddick but a lot of the young guys. I knew he
was going to come out swinging away and having fun and it was a big match.
I mean, he just, you know, played great. I mean, I give him all the credit.
I was definitely pumped up for it. I was ready and doing fine in the first
set and lost the first set breaker pretty quickly. He went from there. But
I was definitely ready.
Q. "To be continued," check mark in your mind, in a match like
that?
PETE SAMPRAS: Well, yeah. I mean, I, you know, it would be hard to say
if he can play like that again against me. I mean it's always difficult
having played Andy for the first time, just getting used to his serve, the
way he likes to play, and he was on. Everything just didn't go my way. I
got a few tough calls here and there that just felt like it wasn't my day.
Q. Is it possible to tell off a hardcourt match what kind of a player he
might be on clay even at this young age?
PETE SAMPRAS: On clay it's, you know, with that serve, I mean he's still
going to be very, very tough to beat on clay. Hits a lot of spin on both
sides, whips it around and hits the ball heavy. Sure, it slows down his
shots a little bit and his serve, so -- but he's young enough; he'll just
get better and better.
Q. Do you see a young Sampras in him, in his game?
PETE SAMPRAS: Just a different game. I mean, still a lot of power but when
I was his age I wasn't serving that hard, you know. I mean, he's got that
wide body racquet, he can crack it pretty good. Just different games. I
mean, he stays back a little bit more, just cracks it from the back court.
Reminds me a little bit of like an Enqvist or Philippoussis, someone that
serves big, cracks the first ball. That's the future of the game. I mean,
serve-and-volley tennis is pretty much extinct today. Just different styles
but still with a lot of power.
Q. What's your program?
PETE SAMPRAS: Well, just get ready for the clay.
Q. Where will you go in Europe?
PETE SAMPRAS: Most likely Monte Carlo and then all the way through.
Q. All the way through? Rome?
PETE SAMPRAS: (Nodding.)
Q. In that second set when you were down 3-1, in the fifth game you got
up love-15 on him, then came that point where you stood there for quite
a while.
PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah. Tough call.
Q. How was it? Did you see it way out or what?
PETE SAMPRAS: Well, it was close enough to be out. You know? I mean, I
felt like it was out and I, you know, thought -- I mean, I thought it was
out.
Q. How big was that?
PETE SAMPRAS: It's a big point. Love-30, serving 15-all, maybe he starts
feeling the pressure a little bit, it didn't go my way.
Q. A couple of those serves of his when he really jammed you, seriously,
you're not very used to that, are you?
PETE SAMPRAS: Not with that power, no. I mean, mid 130s, he just throws
it up and swings as hard as he can. And a couple of them went into my body,
just kind of caught me off guard. He really can crack it pretty good.
Q. Think it was going to decapitate you on that one?
PETE SAMPRAS: Or something else. (Laughter.)
Q. He had two or three backhand returns that almost seemed to freeze you.
Were you having a difficult time reading it? Is there something about that
shot that makes him special?
PETE SAMPRAS: No, he was placing it pretty good, taking a short swing,
blocking it, and taking the pace off my serve. Hit it inside-out, which
is a tough shot to hit. Just was on top of it. I mean, really returned well.
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