Loss leaves Sampras searching
Source: National Post
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
Source: Toronto Sun
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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