Sampras wins at night again to reach Open's third round
Source: AP
August 30, 2002
Pete Sampras loves it under the lights at the U.S. Open.
He improved his career mark to 18-0 in night matches at the year's final
Grand Slam tournament by beating 85th-ranked Kristian Pless of Denmark 6-3,
7-5, 6-4 Friday to reach the third round.
"You're just a little more keen at night than during the day. At
least I am," Sampras said. "My body's awake, and the energy's
there."
After taking a jog to work up a sweat ahead of the match, Sampras powered
in 21 aces and ended it with his fastest of the night: 135 mph. He had a
total of 56 winners, to just 16 unforced errors, and faced only one break
point, which he saved.
Sampras is just 22-17 in 2002, having lost in the first round at the French
Open and the second round at Wimbledon. He hasn't won a tournament of any
sort since July 2000, when he captured Wimbledon for his record 13th Grand
Slam title.
"I hit the pinnacle, and ever since then it's been tough to get going
at certain places," he said.
That two-year drought contributed to Sampras being seeded only 17th at
this year's Open. He'll next face 1997 finalist Greg Rusedski, who got past
Paradorn Srichaphan 3-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-4 Friday night in
a 3-hour, 44-minute match that ended at midnight.
In his previous 13 Opens, Sampras has failed to get to the fourth round
only once: when he lost in the first round in his 1988 debut. He's won the
tournament four times and been the runner-up three, including in 2000 and
2001.
"It's the U.S. Open -- this is what I play for," Sampras said.
"It's been a struggle this year, but hopefully I can get it going here.
I feel really comfortable playing here."
Pless has never been past the third round of any Grand Slam tournament.
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Winless for two years, Sampras comfortable again
By: Howard Ulman, AP
August 30, 2002
His fastest serve was his last, a 135-mph dart that drove home the obvious:
When the lights get turned on at the U.S. Open, so does Pete Sampras.
On Friday night he looked more like the dominant player who won the tournament
for the fourth time in 1996 than the fading star who hasn't won an event
since his Wimbledon in 2000.
"It's the U.S. Open. This is what I play for," Sampras said
after improving to 18-0 in night matches in the Grand Slam event. "Being
No. 1 is over. I still feel like I've got it out there."
Sampras, whose streak of six consecutive year-ending No. 1 rankings ended
in 1998, beat Denmark's Kristian Pless 6-3, 7-5, 6-4. Sampras had 21 aces,
won 86 percent of the points in which his first serve went in and faced
only one break point, saving that.
He charged the net frequently, winning with chip shots and playing few
long points against the 86th-ranked Pless.
"Just putting pressure on the guys," he said. "I'm going
to play him my way. That's to be aggressive."
Sampras' third-round opponent Sunday will be Greg Rusedski of Britain,
who beat Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan 3-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3),
6-4 in the last match Friday night.
"You're just a little more keen at night than you are during the
day. At least I am," said Sampras, the runner-up the last two years.
"My body's awake."
In the third set, he broke Pless' serve with a forehand passing shot,
then held his serve for a 3-1 lead. In the five games he served in the last
set, Sampras lost just six points.
He admitted that he lost his "steel will" after setting a record
with his 13th Grand Slam win at Wimbledon in 2000. And he's just 22-17 this
year with losses in the first round in the French Open and the second round
in Wimbledon.
But this is the U.S. Open.
"It's been a struggle this year, but I know where I'm at here as
far as how important this tournament is to me," Sampras said. "I
feel really comfortable playing here."
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2002 US Open - Round 2
Post-Match Interview
Pete Sampras defeats K. Pless
6-3, 7-5, 6-4
August 30, 2002
An interview with: PETE SAMPRAS
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Was it as exciting for you as it was for us?
PETE SAMPRAS: Yes.
Q. How do you feel about how you played tonight?
PETE SAMPRAS: Pretty happy. Pretty happy the way it went. Wasn't really
serving too well in the beginning. Finally clicked a little bit in the second.
I put the pressure on him, kind of set the tone early. And it's pretty smooth.
Q. You're 18-0 in night matches here. What is it about the lights at
this place?
PETE SAMPRAS: Just, you know, the energy from the people. It's always
-- you're just a little more keen at night than you are during the day -
at least I am. My body's awake, I feel pretty good out there. The energy's
good. So it was a good night.
Q. I saw you jogging underneath the stadium. Is that something you always
do?
PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah. Well, when it's a little cool like it was tonight,
I've had my share of injuries when I'm not completely warmed up. If you
go out there, you know, with a broken sweat, I just feel that much better.
You know, I start off a little bit better. It's something I've been doing
for a while.
Q. Can you talk a little bit more, it seems like you're chipping and
charging a bit more. Can you talk more about the thinking behind that.
PETE SAMPRAS: Just putting pressure on the guys. You know, even though
I might not win every point, just as long as I'm setting the tone on my
terms. You know, I'm tough to pass, tough to lob. If he hits a great passing
shot, too good. I'm going to play him my way. That's to be aggressive. Chip
and charge is a great play out there. The courts are not that quick. It
still stays pretty low if you get a good slice. It's something I've been
trying to do in these first couple matches.
Q. Lendl always said he would never get married while he was a tennis
professional; that he couldn't have a devotion to two things as important
as that in his life. You obviously don't feel that way. Why not?
PETE SAMPRAS: Well, I don't know. I mean, I don't know. I mean, I was
ready to get married.
Q. But for you, there has been the criticism that that has detracted
from your game. You would argue against that?
PETE SAMPRAS: Sure.
Q. Would you elaborate?
PETE SAMPRAS: Let's -- when I broke the record at Wimbledon a couple years
ago, I was -- it took a lot out of me. You know, after that, you know, victory,
I didn't have that steel will week in, week out. I just feel like I hit
the pinnacle. Ever since then, it's, you know, it's been tough to kind of
get going in certain places. I happened to get married a couple months later.
It was the best thing that happened to me. You know, it's what life's all
about. You meet the woman of your dreams, you have a family. That's nice.
It's nice to have that balance.
Q. Have you talked to Andre at all about impending fatherhood?
PETE SAMPRAS: No.
Q. Do you actually need to sort of get your will in shape like you do
your body, physically? Is there a way to, I don't know, over time, round
it into tournament shape, Grand Slam shape?
PETE SAMPRAS: You just kind of go along and hopefully get through your
matches. You know, you can't turn it on and off, get ready for majors and
all of a sudden start playing well. So it's the US Open. This is what I
play for. It's been a struggle this year. You know, I know where I'm at
here as far as how important this tournament is to me, and hopefully I can
get it
going here.
Q. Do you feel as if anything is starting to click? You just look a little,
I don't know, quicker, maybe more confident all of a sudden. Do you feel
like things are coming more than they have this summer anywhere else?
PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah. I feel really comfortable playing here. I like the
conditions. First couple matches, I have no complaints the way it's going,
pretty smooth. The summer wasn't great, but, you know, I feel like I'm pretty
confident right now. Feel like it kind of clicked tonight. So it's been
a good start.
Q. In terms of that confidence - and I know you've talked about this
- after the loss at Wimbledon, even out on Long Island last week after the
loss, you didn't feel that confidence. You thought that you maybe needed
a close match, to pull out a close match to get it back. Did maybe a couple
blow-outs do the same thing?
PETE SAMPRAS: Sure, blow-outs and winning straight sets help the confidence.
As long as I'm hitting the ball well, feel good out there, that's really
all I can ask for. Competition does get tougher as we go, as each match
comes along. But I feel pretty good out there. The game's still there. I
mean, I feel that when I practice. I feel it when I play. Week in, week
out, yeah, it's tougher to be anywhere near as dominant as I once was. But
I've let that go. I'm going to try to do what I can here in the next year
or so to win a major. That's my goal. Being No. 1 is over. You know, still
feel like I've got it out there.
Q. How long is it since you've felt mentally this comfortable and this
confident?
PETE SAMPRAS: It's been a little while. I felt decent in Toronto, lost
a tough match. Cincinnati, didn't play too well. But I feel pretty good.
I mean, I'm practicing hard. That's all you can do when you're struggling
a little bit, is to go out there and practice with purpose. You know, it's
kind of where it all starts. Hopefully, you can transfer that on to the
tennis court when you play matches, and I've been able to do that here.
Q. What do you think you want to improve from looking at tonight's match?
What do you think you can do better?
PETE SAMPRAS: Serve a little better. I mean, served well. Hit the second
serve well. But didn't really have the rhythm early on. But felt like I
returned well, put the pressure on him. Was pretty solid.
Q. At a night match in particular here at the Open, people yell stuff
in the middle of your serve at times. Didn't seem to disturb you. Do you
hear that? Does it disturb you at all? Did it at one point? Didn't seem
to.
PETE SAMPRAS: No, not really. You're so focused on what you're doing out
there, doesn't really faze me. I mean, you kind of expect it. You go out,
been out here for quite a while, so it's nothing new.
Q. Doesn't help you, though? Or does it?
PETE SAMPRAS: Really no -- it's nice to have that support. You can feel
it from the people. You're focused on what you're trying to do and not thinking
about any comments or noise. So it's always nice playing at night here.
Q. Can you talk about the James Blake-Lleyton Hewitt match tomorrow?
What do you think about that? Obviously, there's extra interest because
of the controversies from last year.
PETE SAMPRAS: What happened last year is over. I'm sure from a media standpoint
it's something you can feed off of. But Lleyton and James are just going
to go out and play, play another tennis match. It's a big match, two young
guys breaking through. Should be good.
Q. If it is Greg Rusedski on Sunday, how would you view that match?
PETE SAMPRAS: Completely different than my first two matches. It's gonna
come down to my return. Hopefully, I can get a hold of his serve. He's obviously
-- can be very dominating. But should be a tough match.
Q. First two matches, your body language looks like you're much more
relaxed. Is that correct?
PETE SAMPRAS: Good energy. Feel like I'm ready from the first point. You
know, this is what I play for. It's different than playing a tour event,
and, you know, I feel like my energy's been good, moving well.
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