Q.
Pete, the doublefault in the tiebreaker, how
much of a factor was that? Was that the
turning point?
PETE
SAMPRAS: I hit a lot of doublefaults the
whole match, serving for the third set at
6-5, doublefaulted on breakpoints,
doublefaulted the first point of the game.
Just my serve kind of let me down. I served
pretty well at the start, but as the match
wore on, I started pressing a little more and
more on my serve, trying to hit it too good.
My first serve percentage was very low
throughout the match.
Q.
Was that trying -- You were thinking Edberg
is quick, you wouldn't know how you would
hold up?
PETE
SAMPRAS: As the match wore on, especially in
the fourth set, I was running out of gas. It
is just I have been playing a lot of tennis
this summer. Maybe more mentally than
physically. I just-- I was very tired, very
exhausted. I had a very long night, last
night, and didn't get too much sleep, but I
am not giving any excuses. He won the
important points. But I can't say that I
didn't have my chances here. Serving 6-5 and
just my serve kind of let me down a little
bit. He hit some good shots. I think the
level of tennis wasn't all that great, that I
thought we were both pretty tentative out
there. But he came up the better man.
Q.
In two weeks you will be playing on clay; do
you think it will be a different result?
PETE
SAMPRAS: Well, I am not playing singles, I am
playing doubles; hopefully, with McEnroe. So
I will leave it up to Jim and Andre to do the
job.
Q.
When you look back on the year, you have had
a lot of good Grand Slams, but a lot of near
misses, I guess. Was it really-- does it
hurt?
PETE
SAMPRAS: I mean, this is the type of year I
can look back on. I was close, but just
wasn't enough this year. I came close at
Wimbledon, and had my best chance here to
play Stefan, a person that I have beaten
twice before, and I had my chances. Started
off playing pretty well. This is a year that
I came across, but it wasn't enough.
Q.
What was wrong with your legs?
PETE
SAMPRAS: My shins, especially in the third
and fourth, were getting very sore. You know,
just a lot of hardcourt tennis for me,
especially the last couple of months, it just
takes it toll. But I am-- like I said, I am
not giving any excuses.
Q.
Would you tell us when you left here last
night about what time it was and when you got
to sleep, and how sick you actually were last
night?
PETE
SAMPRAS: Well, I just -- beat Courier, I
guess I got into the referees' office about
10:00 and got a couple of IVs into me. I was
very dehydrated, had some diarrhea, just had
a stomach virus. I guess I left here about
12:00; got back to my room and got a massage
and probably ended up going to sleep probably
about 3:00, 3:30 at night, and I got up about
8:00 this morning. So it wasn't the best
night, but I just didn't feel good after that
match. Just had some stomach cramps and just
dehydrated. I wasn't drinking enough,
probably, but I had definitely had my chances
today. I am not giving any excuses, like I
said. It just wasn't enough, today.
Q.
Was there any doubt you would play today, at
any point?
PETE
SAMPRAS: Well, I mean, last night I went to
sleep; I was having some problems, cramps. I
woke up this morning still kind of had them.
I took some stuff to hopefully settle my
stomach a little bit. It seemed to work. I
was eating some proper foods, rice and pasta,
but I was definitely concerned. But I think
when the afternoon came around, I was in fine
shape.
Q.
How much do you think that affected you
today?
PETE
SAMPRAS: It didn't affect me too much.
Q.
Even in the third and fourth set?
PETE
SAMPRAS: Maybe I showed it a little in the
fourth. I ran out of gas a little bit. My
body was a bit stiff at that point. But in
the first, you know, two and a half, three
sets, I felt fine. After I lost that third,
maybe, it was more mental than anything.
Maybe mentally I was just I was telling
myself, you know, my body can't do it, and as
a result, it didn't.
Q.
Pete, you started so strong, it looked so
swift. Then, about midway, after the second
set, it seemed like a few things happening,
either mentally or physically, or did he come
on much better?
PETE
SAMPRAS: I think he started playing a little
bit better. Like, I serve-- my serve kind of
let me down, didn't serve quite as well. It
was really weird. I had my chances in the
third set. Had him Love-40; the first game;
had some breakpoints. I was on his serve, I
felt like, you know, at the changeovers, I
kind of felt it slipping away a little bit. I
had my chances, and you know, played some
loose points on my serves, but it is a match
I definitely could have won, if I would have
gotten the proper points. But as it goes, it
wasn't enough today.
Q.
This result will mean in the next rankings
that Stefan is number one, Jim Courier is
number two and you are number three. Do you
think that is an accurate reflection of where
they stand?
PETE
SAMPRAS: At this point, Stefan, he is
deserving to be number one. Jim has had a
very solid year, winning Australia and the
French. I don't know what the point
difference is. I didn't think of the ranking,
playing today. I didn't think about it. I
didn't even know what the situation was, as
far as if I would have won or if he would
have won. He defended his title. Jim gets to
the finals here last year and lost some
points. He deserved it. He won the biggest
tournament in the world, or one of the two
biggest tournaments in the world. You have to
give him credit.
Q.
Because of what happened in the Grand Slams,
the near misses, being a tough year, can you
look back on this, saying it was a good year,
great year, or will these losses sort of--
PETE
SAMPRAS: It was a good year, but like I said,
I am not satisfied. Like I said, it came very
close at Wimbledon. I just came close. I
couldn't finish it off, like today, it was
just one of those years that just missed. It
missed by-- I just missed it. But it was a
good year. I mean, I improved on some
surfaces that gave me problems in the past,
on clay and grass, and I can look back at
this year and I thought I played pretty well
on some surfaces that gave me trouble in the
past. But this is my best chance to, perhaps,
win a Grand Slam, this year, was playing out
here today.
Q.
Have you had a more difficult serving day,
would you say?
PETE
SAMPRAS: I am sure I have, but--
Q.
I mean, at a stage like this.
PETE
SAMPRAS: What do you mean? In the final?
Q.
Well, since you have become a very good
player.
PETE
SAMPRAS: Yeah, I mean, I have had some very
bad serving days, but today was not the day
to have that bad serving day. You know, I
think I was just going for too much, trying
to hit the line and just missing it by
inches, and then I had to stay back a little
bit, and he chipped and charged when he had
to. It wasn't a good serving day for me, at
all, today. I think I was just pressing a
little bit too much. I have had days like
this before where my serve didn't come
through for me, but I feel pretty confident,
my groundies, that I can win some matches,
but playing someone like Stefan, you have to
serve well.
Q.
You haven't lost in so long; did you think
about that in the fourth set at all?
PETE
SAMPRAS: No. I mean, coming down to-- he saw
me, my head was dropping a little bit and my
energy wasn't that high. I think he saw that,
he started playing much better. He played a
pretty good fourth set. But you know, when I
hit the 4- Love, I knew my chances were
looking very slim.
Q.
How did you feel about the way you volleyed
in the times you did come in?
PETE
SAMPRAS: Not particularly that well. I didn't
think I played all that well today. Returned
okay. And served -- didn't serve that well.
And volley, you know it's just a very
sluggish day for me.
Q.
You commented on him defending the title. But
can you comment on from a player's point of
view the achievement of the way he did it?
Did it surprise you that he would win three,
five set matches; play five days in a row?
PETE
SAMPRAS: He definitely deserves it. Almost
losing to Krajicek and having a tough match
five hour match with Chang and come out and
he seemed like he looked pretty fresh today.
He deserves it. He came a from behind and did
it. That is the mark of a champion.
Q.
You said you were going for too much on your
serve. Because of who you were playing or
because of the occasion?
PETE
SAMPRAS: Maybe because of the occasion. Maybe
I was a bit tight especially when I was
serving four -- at 6-5 -- doublefaulted a
couple of times. My serve just basically let
me down a little bit, and you know, I usually
serve pretty well against Stefan, but I think
maybe it was the occasion. I was a little bit
more tight today than I normally would be. I
think that affected my serve.
Q.
You think you might have a greater
appreciation of how tough it is to win a
Grand Slam than you would have two years ago?
PETE
SAMPRAS: Like I said, coming into this
tournament I felt like if I could have won. I
think it would have meant more to me you
know, this year as far as than 1990. 1990, it
all happened so fast; probably too fast. I
really didn't know what it all meant. After
beating Agassi I felt like I just won a
tournament. I didn't realize the importance
and the history of this tournament. In coming
in today, it was, yeah, I definitely knew of
the importance. You know, it's a huge match.
It is one of the biggest tournaments in the
world, and-- but just-- I just came up a
little bit short today.
Q.
Were you more tight this time than you were
two years ago?
PETE
SAMPRAS: Yeah, I mean this time, two years
ago I came out and I had nothing to lose and
I played Andre and he probably knew of the
occasion or the situation a little bit more
than I did, and losing the finals of the
French couple of times, and he came a little
bit tight. I think that showed, you know, I
came out a little bit tight today. But you
know, it's just a pretty tough day for me at
the office.
Q.
Is the scheduling a little screwed up,
because one of the semifinalists is playing
nine o'clock Saturday night; has to come out
on Sunday to play again?
PETE
SAMPRAS: I think it's pretty disappointing.
This is the only Grand Slam that does it. The
French, Wimbledon, Australia, they play
Friday and Sunday. It gives that person a day
off -- two people a day off, and then
yesterday I get down at 9:30; by the time you
get a massage and sleep, it is late, and you
have to play the next day. I think the USTA
or whoever makes the decision you know, I
don't know why they do that. But I think it
is unfair. I mean, you know, Stefan had a
tough match five hour match. He got done
about four or five o'clock. I got down about
nine, ten o'clock, so-- but it was-- I didn't
feel like I had the advantage or
disadvantage.
Q.
Thank you very much.
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