Pre-Davis Cup Interview with Pete Sampras
April 1, 2002
Q. So far, what do you think of Westside Tennis Club and how they have it set up?
PETE SAMPRAS: I think it's first class place. The training rooms, facilities, the courts seem like they are in good shape, it's a great facility. I think the players on both teams are very happy. You couldn't ask for a better set up.
Q. Andy (Roddick) mentioned that these courts may be a touch slower than what you have played elsewhere. Would you agree with that assessment and how will that effect what you do out there?
PETE SAMPRAS: It's not really going to change much for me and my strategy on grass, it's pretty much just coming in. Playing on the grass here yesterday, it was pretty long and a little wet. As we play more, it will roughen it up and make it easier to move. The grass over in England is the best grass in the world and I know they put a good effort in the grass here and I think by Friday the courts will be playing really well. I know they will roll it some more, cut it some more, making it a little quicker, but for me and my game, it really is not going to change a whole lot.
Q. How is your confidence at this point? Obviously not a great stretch coming from Miami, how does it feel? Does this grass surface reinvigorate you right now?
PETE SAMPRAS: It was a tough couple of weeks, but I try to put that behind me and look at the big picture of the rest of the year and there is no reason to panic just as long as I am working hard. Hopefully this week can get my confidence going, sure it is on grass, a surface that when I walk on it, I feel pretty much at home. It does take a little of time to make the adjustments, but we are here in plenty of time to get ready for Friday. I'm looking forward to the rest of the year. It hasn't started the way I wanted it to. The confidence hopefully will grow this week and just sort of build going into the claycourt season, but there is still some time to work on a few things, to get into a little better shape. I have a pretty good breakout from here to work on the clay and work with Jose a little bit.
Q. Has Patrick asked you to play doubles?
PETE SAMPRAS: We haven't really talked about the doubles. We are just going to play it by ear. I might practice a little bit this week and play some doubles. James and Todd are going to play doubles, we're all going to play doubles. Just in case. You never know what is going to happen on Friday, how it goes, how our bodies handle the grass. If I physically feel fine on Friday, I am available to play doubles on Saturday. We'll just weigh it up as we go.
Q. Looking back two years ago to what happened against Spain, you are here on the surface that you want. Is it a mission to come back from that?
PETE SAMPRAS: It is probably unlikely that we are even going to talk about it. It was a couple of years ago and a lot has happened. Sure it was a tough week for the boys, but we're going to do our business and get the job done as good as we can. It is not going to be an easy tie. It is on grass and we are the favorites but these guys are going to come out pretty free spirited and free swinging with nothing to lose. What happened two years ago happened. I wasn't there. I just hear that it was a tough week for everybody, but we're not going to dwell on that this week. It's not revenge. It is just going out and playing and getting to three before they do.
Q. Can you talk about the benefits for yourself and the whole team in being to, this time, choose your own surface?
PETE SAMPRAS: It helped to have it here at home and to be able to choose the surface. Grass helps our game. Grass is a difficult surface to play on if you are not used to it. It takes experience and time to figure it out, but these guys are experienced pros and they have been around. Maybe not as much experience on the grass, but when you have an opportunity to win a tie, you want to give yourself the best chance. Grass will hopefully pan out and we will do the job. It's a tricky surface. If you are not sharp or you get a little careless and they guys hold their serve. It is a surface where you have to stay sharp. A couple of mistakes here and there and you could lose the set. We're hungry and we're ready and we will hopefully get a little better as the week goes on and by Friday we will hopefully be peaking all at the same time.
Q. Given the team aspect of this. Do you help out an Andy Roddick, a guy who has a game similar to yours, in learning how to master grass as you have.
PETE SAMPRAS: Actually our games are pretty different. He is going to stay back, more-less, I think. He played pretty well at Wimbledon and with that serve, he is going to be pretty tough to break. He returns well. So much of grass is movement and being able to adjust. I'd be more than happy to help any of the players, Andy in articular, with my experiences, but I think he is well adjusted and knows how he wants to play. He is going to be a great player and he can figure it out, out there. It takes time. Grass is not a surface that I particularly liked when I turned pro, but as the time went on I seemed to enjoy it more and more.
Q. Has Davis Cup become more important to you as you have gone through your career and now as you are heading toward the latter portion of your career, do you put more significance and importance on it?
PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, Davis Cup has always been a tricky one over the years because I felt like to stay number one like I wanted to be and play Davis Cup was too much. At that rate, I would have been done by now. That is why I decided not to play a few years of Davis Cup, to focus on the majors and being ranked number one. Now that my ranking is not quite as important to me, in the last couple of years, finding situations that get me motivated and inspire me. There is no question that Davis Cup means something. Playing for your teammates and your country, there is a sense of urgency when you play out there that I need to feel as I have gotten a little bit older. You have felt it over the years, you felt it in Oklahoma city, we're going to feel it here, you push harder and you dig deeper and I need to be in those situations.
Q. Was the last time you were in Texas, was it the tie in Fort Worth against Switzerland?
PETE SAMPRAS: That's a good question. I think I may have done an Elton John charity event in Houston a couple of years ago.
Q. Can you talk about the difference of fans between this event and a regular tennis event? Do they get a little bit crazier here?
PETE SAMPRAS: I hope they are pretty crazy here. (laugh) I hope people here in Houston support the tie and make some noise. That is what Davis Cup is all about. I'm sure if we were playing these guys in Spain, we would hear it. It would be nice to have these Spanish guys here it, some American noise. That's one of the advantages of playing at home. You have that support. On the tour, fans come out to really cheer the sport, the tennis, but here when you are playing Davis Cup for your country, people are more vocal and into it. Hopefully that is the case this weekend.
Q. What was it like playing doubles with John McEnroe in 1992?
PETE SAMPRAS: He is probably the best doubles player of all time and to be matched up with him, I think we gelled pretty well. I think my kind of calm personality and his (laughs) more animated personality.. I think we gelled pretty well and we both played well. I think that is the key, playing well and winning and we did that. He plays with a lot of urgency and a lot of emotion and I really don't. I thInk we gelled together as well as we could. I think we came back in that match from down two sets to none and the crowd was very vocal. That was one of the better moments I have had in Davis Cup.
(United States Tennis Association.)
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