Sampras to return for US Clay Courts
April 11, 2002
Pete Sampras, apparently enthralled by his treatment while in Houston for the Davis Cup, has made a U-turn and decided he would like to play in the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships beginning April 22 at Westside Tennis Club.
The winner of a record 13 Grand Slam titles originally committed to the tournament last fall but pulled out in January after rejoining the American Davis Cup team. Although Sampras lost a disappointing five-set match to Spain's Alex Corretja last Friday, it obviously didn't dampen his feelings about returning here.
"It's a first-class facility," Sampras said of Westside. "You couldn't ask for a better setup."
Another reason for Sampras' change of heart is that his new coach, Jose Higueras, has gotten great results at the French Open, the only major Sampras has not won. Higueras coached Michael Chang and Jim Courier when they won at Roland Garros, and one of Westside's top selling points is that its courts for the clay court championships have the same red clay used in Paris.
"He knows I like to spend a lot of time on the court, and at this
stage of his career, he may feel like that's what he needs," Higueras
said of his association with Sampras. "Every player is different, and
I don't think every player needs to spend the same amount of time on the
court. But at the same time, I believe you get better only if you're spending
time on the court. "The better you play, the more matches and tournaments
you win, and you have less time to (practice). That's our goal."
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