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Loss leaves Sampras searching

August 1, 2002

While the rest of his game had faded in and out like an eccentric old television, the serve alone had stayed. As Pete Sampras teetered through two tense, difficult three-set wins in the first two rounds of the Tennis Masters Canada tournament, it was his booming serve that propped up the rest of his erratic game.

Last night, cruelly, it was his serve that faltered, ending Sampras's title hopes.

After holding his serve all night, Sampras double-faulted on match point to end his 7-6, (3), 3-6, 7-6 (5) loss to third-seeded German Tommy Haas on Centre Court at the National Tennis Centre at York University.

"When the chips are down, I go for it," said Sampras
afterwards. "Sometimes I pull it off, and sometimes I miss.

"Tonight, I missed."

Sampras seemed to have located his elusive ground game in the second set, when he sent three winners past Haas for a break and a 3-2 lead that led to the set. But Haas, in his second tournament back since his parents were involved in a near-fatal motorcycle accident last month, managed to hit his 23rd and 24th aces while Sampras double-faulted to end the match in the deciding tiebreak. Haas advances to the quarter-
finals against Frenchman Fabrice Santoro.

Indeed, after a loss in the first-set tiebreak, Sampras went for it, as he seemed to rediscover the aggressiveness and confidence he had so long been seeking.

Before that, though, the Pete Sampras of 1997 was lost, while the Pete Sampras of 2002, without a title in 30 attempts, was just another guy trying to win a match. He had wobbled all week, two tense three-setters in two straight nights, and, it seemed, was finally ready to fall.

When he found his groundstrokes again, they sang, pulling him even with that 6-3 second-set win. But in the last game, he did not quite have enough.

"I've got a pretty high bar," said Sampras, who turns 31 on Aug. 12. "But I still have the game and talent."

"He's probably not at his best as he used to be," said the 24-year-old Haas. "But I think he's on his way back."

 

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A Bitter End for Sampras

August 1, 2002

If Pete Sampras lost in straight sets, it would not have been surprising. If he lost on a Tommy Haas ace, it would not have been surprising.

But losing by double-faulting on the deciding point in a third-set tiebreaker? The shocking match point capped a close-but-not-quite tournament for Sampras at York University.

Attempting to regain his top form after opening the year with seven months of disappointing results, the No. 13 seed lost 7-6, (3), 3-6, 7-6 (5) against Haas, the third seed, in a third-round battle at Tennis Masters Canada.

Playing his third three-set match in as many days, Sampras, 30, put his second serve just left of the centre line to hand Haas the victory.

"When the chips are down, I go for it," said Sampras, who has a record of 19-15 this year. "Sometimes, I pull it off, sometimes I miss and (last night) I missed. It's unfortunate timing, but my serve is my best shot."

The world's No. 1 at year's end from 1993-98, Sampras, who hasn't won a tournament since claiming the Wimbledon title in 2000, said he is not ready to retire.

"I can walk away right now and feel like I've done everything I've ever wanted," he said. "But I feel like I've got one more moment or a couple of more moments in me."

Sampras blew a chance to take control of the match early as Haas fought off four set points while serving during the first set. Haas ripped off three aces in a row while trailing 6-5 in the first set to carry him to the tiebreaker.

In the third-set tiebreaker, Sampras took a 5-4 lead by hitting an overhand smash while backpedaling for his third consecutive point. Haas then fired two more strong serves before the devastating double-fault.

"I felt like I played pretty well, but I'm not happy with the result ... I want to win these tournaments," Sampras said.

Haas defended Sampras for going for a big serve with his back against the wall.

"How many times has he saved a match or won a match with that serve?" Haas said. "I think he's on his way back. He could be real dangerous the next few weeks."

 

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TMS Toronto - Round 3
Post-Match Interview

Pete Sampras loses to Tommy Haas
6-7, 6-3, 6-7

August1, 2002

AN INTERVIEW WITH: PETE SAMPRAS

TOUR OFFICIAL: Questions for Pete.

REPORTER: Pete, except for the last point, do you have very much to be disappointed by tonight?

PETE SAMPRAS: I'm disappointed with the result. I thought I played well enough to win. I had a ton of chances early on to maybe, you know, grab the first set. I didn't lose my serve the whole match and you can feel pretty good about that but obviously I'm disappointed with the result but I had some chances. I think Tommy served really, really well in the third set and just -- he kind of continued in a tiebreaker which kind of surprised me. Under pressure he was coming up with the goods and, you know, I went for it at match force like I usually do and missed it and disappointed. I thought I played well enough to win.

REPORTER: Pete, in that situation you say you usually go for it on a match point like that. Tonight at all was there ever any consideration towards easing up and going for a lighter second serve?

PLAYER: Yeah that's what I do, you know, when, you know, the chips (Ph) are down I go for it. Some times I pull it off and some times I miss, and tonight I missed it, and its it's just the way I play. You know I take a lot of chances on my serve, and it's my best shot, and unfortunate timing tonight for it to happen but, you know, I give him credit. He stepped it up there during the third with his serve and I didn't get the result that I wanted, but I thought I played pretty well.

REPORTER: Pete, I don't recall this ever happening to you on match point. Has it ever -- have you ever double-faulted on a match point? And, if so, when? When was the last time?

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah I remember doing it against Safin here a couple of years ago. Same situation. Down match point. I hit a second serve out and went for it again and, you know, I'm sure there is some nerves coming in to play and I, I recall that match. I haven't done it that often.

REPORTER: Pete, do you expect to play this tournament in Canada again?

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah. You know this is a major event on the tour. It's a Grand Slam field. You know this is a good measuring stick to see where your game is at, and I have always enjoyed my time here in Canada and, unfortunately, I haven't gotten a win here, but I'll try again next year.

REPORTER: Pete, talking about that serve we have seen so many times, you know, blast one down the middle like that. You know usually it hits the line. I don't know how many times you have done that right on the line, and I'm wondering if it's timing. You know it's a matter of timing? I mean how many times -- nine times out of ten -- you would get that? Is it timing off? Is it a timing problem? Is it practice? Do you need more matches? What do you think the problem is with that?

PETE SAMPRAS: I don't think it's any of those. I think I just missed it. I think nerves come into play a little bit but I don't think it's timing or technique. You know I go for it and that's -- I'm going -- I'm going to pay a price every now and again, and I have come through many times with big second serves on big points and tonight I, you know, I went for it and missed it and it cost me the match.

REPORTER: Pete, any indicators over the last three days that things are turning around in a better direction for you?

PETE SAMPRAS: Well, I felt like I played pretty well this week. I'm not happy with the result and I felt like I played well enough today to get through the next round, but I thought I played pretty well and served well. I lost my serve a couple of times but, you know, I want to -- I want to win these matches and, you know, I had chances today to win it, and I played pretty well, and if I'm going to build from this may be a little bit but -- and I play these events to win them and, unfortunately, I'm not going to do that here.

REPORTER: It's a bit like that question, Pete, but do you not see a progression in your three matches that might make you -- you know, encourage you for next week and on into the U.S. Open?

PETE SAMPRAS: Well I have a pretty high bar and I expect myself to play well even though it's been a disappointing year. I still have the game and the talent. You know that's not going to go anywhere. I didn't (Ph) lack any matches and I feel pretty good about the way that I'm playing but, you know, I feel that I can play better and improve from -- you know, if I would have got through today I would have -- I felt I would have gotten better as the week went on but I have got to regroup here and get ready for Cincinnati. Another big event. The body held up pretty good having not played a match in quite awhile so, you know, I don't take anything out of a loss, you know. It's more disappointment, learning a little bit, and I feel like I played all right.

REPORTER: Pete, you have always been a great champion and I'm wondering you're used to winning, and I'm wondering if now that you have been losing and you haven't won a title in two years how that sits with you and how you resolve that in your mind to keep going on and battling back?

PETE SAMPRAS: Well I still enjoy playing and even though I'm not getting results that I want, you know, I enjoy competing against the young guys and it's a challenge. It's my biggest challenge of my tennis and I have answered a number of a number of challenges over the years and I just keep on going. As long as I believe that I can continue to win and maybe win another major tournament I'm going to keep on going. It's been a frustrating year, no doubt, but I still feel like I have got -- I have got the game and it's -- hopefully one week it's going to click and I still enjoy playing. You know I enjoy the challenge of trying to come back from this. It's something I've never had to do before and, you know, I could walk away tomorrow and feel like I have done everything that I have ever wanted but I still feel like that there is one last moment for me -- maybe a couple more moments to hold up a slam trophy which is the ultimate for me.

TOUR OFFICIAL: Any other questions? Okay

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