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Sampras always remembers coach who changed his life

July 18, 2002

The introduction of Pete Sampras to Tim Gullikson in 1992 was one of those fateful meetings that changed the history of an entire sport.

Like Norv Turner was to Troy Aikman or Butch Harmon is to Tiger Woods, Gullikson was the visionary who harnessed the mega-talent of a shy, unsure kid from southern California and turned him into the serve-and-volley Goliath who crashed the boundaries of men's tennis.

On Friday, Sampras will continue showing his appreciation for Gullikson, who died from brain tumors at age 44 in May 1996, by playing former Texan Andy Roddick in an exhibition match at SMU's Moody Coliseum.

Sampras and Roddick, the king and prince of U.S. men's tennis, are playing the match for free so that all proceeds will benefit the Tim and Tom Gullikson Foundation, which raises money for care and support of brain-tumor patients.

"It was difficult to see what cancer did to Tim and to his family because Tim was so energetic and well-liked," Sampras said Wednesday. "Being at the funeral, something like 900 people showed up, and it was a reflection on the type of person he was. Since then, I've tried to help raise some money. Hopefully, Friday we'll have a good turnout in Dallas."

Before Sampras became the all-time men's leader in Grand Slam victories (13) and a seven-time Wimbledon champion, he was powerful but wobbly, much like a yearling. He raced at times, tripped blindly at others and wondered if becoming the youngest men's U.S. Open champion at 19 in 1990 was a blessing or a curse.

When he lost in the 1991 U.S. Open quarterfinals, Sampras said he was more relieved than disappointed and felt like "a ton of bricks" was lifted from his shoulders. That was heresy to the ears of Jimmy Connors and Jim Courier, among others, who criticized Sampras publicly.

"I had a fairy tale breakthrough in 1990, and I was struggling to feel comfortable in my own skin," Sampras said. "I was insecure, even though I had won a major."

After going nearly two years without reaching another Grand Slam final, Sampras looked to make a coaching change. Sampras' agent at the time contacted Tim Gullikson's twin brother, Tom, about possibly coaching Sampras. Tom had a contract he couldn't break with the United States Tennis Association but recommended his twin brother.

"Pete was this shy 20-year-old, and Tim was outgoing," said Tom Gullikson, a former player and former U.S. Davis Cup captain. "Tim treated the locker room attendant at Wimbledon the same way he treated a CEO. He not only taught Pete a lot about tennis but a lot about life.

From the beginning, it was one of those relationships that just clicked."

Sampras' three-year record at Wimbledon was 1-3 (two first-round losses and a second-round loss) when he hooked up with Tim Gullikson, a crafty grass-court player who won four singles titles and reached the final of seven others during a career in the 1970s. Gullikson upset John McEnroe in the fourth round at Wimbledon in 1979.

Gullikson and Sampras agreed Wimbledon was the perfect showcase for Sampras' serve-and-volley talent. But Sampras struggled to return serve on grass, Particularly on the backhand side, and it was eating at his confidence. Gullikson turned the weakness into a strength by shortening the stroke. He gave Sampras other technical advice to replace flashy with high-percentage tennis and most of all, a grinding killer instinct.

"Tim was kind of a blue-collar mentality who didn't have a ton of talent but made the most of what he had," Sampras said. "I had a ton of talent but didn't have the blue-collar mentality. The combination of all that was why I was able to reach the next level and win the majors I did."

Sampras had won four of the last six majors and his career was one victorious match point after another when doctors discovered four tumors on Tim Gullikson's brain during the 1995 Australian Open. The tournament and Gullikson's life-threatening diagnosis produced one of the most memorable matches of Sampras' career.

After losing the first two sets in deflating tiebreakers in a quarterfinal match against Courier, Sampras heard a fan yell, "C'mon Pete, do it for your coach!" Tears rolled down Sampras' cheeks as he patrolled the court. He somehow mustered the strength to rally for a five-set win.

"I had held it all in regarding Tim's situation, and the moment, combined with the emotion of the match, finally caught up to me," said Sampras, who eventually lost to Andre Agassi in the final.

After living with brain cancer for 16 months, Tim Gullikson, was buried by family and friends, including a 24-year-old Sampras, on May 7, 1996, four days after Gullikson died. That year became an emotional buzz saw for Sampras, who wanted more than anything to win the French Open - the only Grand Slam title to elude him - for his coach.

Sampras defeated two French Open champions Sergi Bruguera and Courier, en route to the semifinals, where he simply had nothing left in a three-set loss to Yevgeny Kafelnikov. It's still Sampras' best showing in Paris.

"To see your coach and one of your best friends fight cancer and lose, right at the beginning of your career, is an incredibly hard thing," said Paul Annacone, who coached Sampras for six years after Gullikson's death. "I think Pete and Tim had an impenetrable bond."

Over the past two years, Sampras has been looking for that same confidence he got from Tim Gullikson, affectionately known as Gully. Sampras split with Annacone at the end of last year and began working with Tom, who was Sampras' captain in 1995 when Sampras dominated a victory over Russia in the United States' last Davis Cup title.

But Sampras broke off their alliance after only one tournament this year's Australian Open because Sampras believed they were too close to have a player-coach relationship. Sampras has since been working with taskmaster Jose Higueras. Tom Gullikson was hurt and disappointed but understood.

"I guess he just felt he needed someone to coach him without the deep personal ties that we have," Tom Gullikson said.

Every year, Sampras does fund-raisers, such as golf tournaments, exhibitions and his Aces for Charity (he and his sponsors donate money for every ace he hits), to help benefit the Gulliksons' foundation as well as other causes. Dallas was selected for Friday's event because of the city's rich tennis history, which includes Lamar Hunt's World Championship Tennis final that used to be played in Reunion Arena.

Sampras said Tim Gullikson will be on his mind Friday night.

"Tim was more than a coach," Sampras said. "Tim was an extrovert, the life of the party. I fed off him because he almost had too many friends. He brought personality out in me. I miss him and owe him a lot."

  PETE SAMPRAS VS ANDY RODDICK
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: SMU's Moody Coliseum
Why: All proceeds benefit the Tim and Tom Gullikson Foundation, which provides support for brain-tumor patients and their families.
Tickets: $30 and $15 available by calling 214-373-8000


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