Focused Sampras eyes 14th Grand Slam crown
January 15, 2002
Pete Sampras says his strenuous preparations for the Australian Open were
paying off as he hardly broke sweat in beating Finn Jarkko Nieminen in his
opening-round match at Melbourne Park on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old, champion in 1994 and 1997, needed just an hour and 38
minutes to see off his 20-year-old opponent, who had risen from 308 to 61
in tha rankings after a solid 2001 season.
Fresh from his success at the Kooyong Classic at the weekend, Sampras looked
as fit and agile as he has for some time in disposing of Nieminen 6-3, 6-3,
6-4.
''When you hit 30, I've been told by other athletes, that's when you have
to work twice as hard,'' said Sampras, who is as eager as ever to add to
his record tally of 13 Grand Slam titles.
''That's what I've been doing. But you have to play matches. That's what
I was needing, and today was a good start. I feel fresh, I feel like I'm
moving around well,'' he added.
With Andre Agassi out injured, Lleyton Hewitt and Jan Michael Gambill beaten,
Sampras's half of the draw has opened up nicely and there seems no reason
why the rejuvenated American cannot go all the way this fortnight.
''I told myself I am going to give it one really, really hard push,'' said
Sampras, who's also committed himself to playing for ther United States
in the Davis Cup.
''So in these last three months I have been training hard, doing a lot
of running and lifting and just doing whatever I can to get in the best
shape possible.''
Sampras, whose main dangers in the top half of the draw now seem to be
Russia's Marat Safin and fellow Americasn Andy Roddick, now plays Argentina's
Juan Ignacio Chela for a place in the last 32
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Split with sponsor leaves him heated, even as he wins
by: Lisa Dillman, LA Times
January 15, 2002
Relationships have a way of ending, and this breakup was particularly
bitter.
One partner was still clinging to the illusion everything remained the
same, keeping his larger-than-life picture prominently displayed.
The other made a visible statement that it was over, wearing a patch of
the American flag in the same spots that once represented the relationship.
Why try to maintain the fiction?
Pete Sampras and his record 13 Grand Slam singles titles were ready to
go it alone ... without Nike. Ordinarily, this would be a footnote after
a routine first-round victory. Sampras looked sharp in defeating Jarkko
Nieminen of Finland, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, today at the Australian Open, serving
13 aces. But Sampras and Nike were together for eight years, and the recent
split is representative of the path of change he has taken since the U.S.
Open.
Coach Paul Annacone is gone, replaced by Tom Gullikson. Manager Jeff Schwartz
no longer handles his day-to-day affairs. Instead, Jill Smoller, from the
same company as Schwartz, is the agent of record. And Nike is history, erased
by the American flag and a Laker cap.
"At the end of the day you have to feel good about the deals that
you do, and as regards to Nike, I don't... They didn't show me respect."
Still, the company prominently featured Sampras in advertisements in downtown
Melbourne. Sampras didn't just make a statement about the change on the
court. Anyone who ever called him bland and cautious should have listened
to him here. Sampras, at 30, might as well shoot from the hip if he feels
strongly enough.
"At the end of the day you have to feel good about the deals that
you do, and as regards to Nike, I don't," he said.
Later, in the hallway, he elaborated. The agreement expired in January,
and Sampras indicated the new offer was not as lucrative as the last deal.
"They didn't show me respect," Sampras said.
Sampras has been clear about looking for inspiration, which is one of the
reasons he decided late last year to play Davis Cup again for the United
States. Even the negativity of the Nike breakup can serve as some form of
motivation, as he makes a final charge for another Grand Slam title.
"I have really stepped it up and told myself I am going to give it
one really, really hard push," Sampras said. "In these last three
months, I have been training hard, doing a lot of running and lifting and
doing whatever I can to get in the best shape possible.
"When you hit 30--I've been told by other athletes that is when you
need to work twice as hard and you need to push it."
One potential obstacle in the way of Sampras' third Australian Open title,
Andre Agassi, was eliminated before the tournament started because of an
injured right wrist.
Agassi and Sampras could have met in the quarterfinals. Another threat,
top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt of Australia, a potential opponent in the semifinals,
was eliminated in the first-round by Alberto Martin.
Back to Archives - 2002 | News
Australian Open - Round 1
Post-Match Interview
Pete Sampras defeats Jarkko NIEMINEN
6-3, 6-3, 6-4
Q. Bud Collins, The Globe.
A. Never heard of you.
Q. Well, I'm just starting my career. I talked to a fellow who is Davis
Cup captain and I said, "Have you got that guy in the bag?" and
he said "Yes." Is that true?
A. Yeah, he's got me. I'll be in Oklahoma City if he wants me to play.
Q. How far in the bag are you?
A. I'm in the bag. I'm available to play if he wants me to play, I'm ready,
and I told him last year that I was available for Davis Cup and looking
forward to it.
Q. Are you pretty happy with that performance? You looked like you were
getting lots of stuff you wanted to do?
A. Yes, I was pretty pleased. I set the tone early on and got a couple
of early breaks, and I think he came out a little bit nervous and I took
advantage of that. I just felt like my game was there today. I felt like
I served well and was putting pressure on his service games, and played
a good match. In the first match out it's always the one you just want to
get through hopefully in straight sets, and I was able to do that today.
Q. With the defending champion, Andre, out and Guga losing the first round,
we know Lleyton Hewitt has been playing well, but do you see yourself one
of the favourites coming down the stretch here?
A. Yes, I am one of the favourites. The game is, you know, very strong
today, there's a lot of great players, and I still feel like when I get
the game going I feel like I'm one of the tough guys to beat. I think Lleyton
is a heavy favourite and I think I'm in that league. Yes, I'll take it one
match at a time and hopefully I can get through some of these tough matches
early on and maybe put myself in contention in the second week and we'll
see what happens from there.
Q. Andre said in yesterday's press conference that his wrist injury flared
in that match with you at Kooyong. Firstly, were you aware of that, and
secondly, you must also be disappointed to see your old foe on the ropes
in that fashion?
A. Well, I didn't notice anything in our match on Saturday. He seemed to
be hitting the ball pretty well and I didn't notice his ball - he was hitting
it pretty hard. It was very disappointing, mostly for Andre. You know, he's
won here the last two years and I'm sure it's pretty serious for him to
pull out. He's going to have to take a hard look to see where it's at, and
it's a big disappointment for the tournament and for myself. We're in the
same section that, you know, it was a long way away but whenever I match
up with him it's pretty special, and it's a big blow in the tournament.
Q. I guess the thought could be that that may have been your last stouch
with him, your last battle with him, and that's a pretty scary thought,
isn't it, that that might have been it?
A. Why do you say that?
Q. He said yesterday it might be a career-threatening injury?
A. Well, it's really too early to tell how serious it is; only he knows.
I think we all expect Andre to be back. As you get older, injuries are a
lot more serious and it is tougher to recover from surgery or whatever.
I see him playing again, I don't see this as so serious that he's going
to retire. I still think he's going to get through it and be back, you know,
whenever he's ready to go.
Q. Do you have similar thoughts when you have the back injury?
A. No, I really didn't think it was anything career-threatening. It was
serious enough where I had to take a harder look at my health, and I was
getting into an age, when you hit 28 and 29, where you feel a few things
here and there, and that was a pretty serious injury. A herniated disc is
something that athletes deal with all the time and that athletes retire
from, but once I got the right treatment and rested and got myself on a
good program for my back, I felt like I was going to be back within a couple
of months.
Q. We've heard a lot about Mark Philippoussis coming over to LA and preparing
with you. How did that come about and was there any reluctance on your behalf,
because you might be spilling a few secrets to a guy who is a potential
rival?
A. I welcomed it. I mean, to have practice with Mark for two weeks, one
of the better players we have in the game, and have that good-quality practice
is pretty inspired stuff; it was welcome. It really helped both of us out
with playing against a top pro. It is different from playing anyone else.
That happened because I work with Brett Stevens, and he wanted to do a couple
of weeks training with Brett, and he just spent two weeks - we would practice
every day two or three hours a day. It was inspired tennis, so it was well
worth the trip for him.
Q. Did he stay in your house or was he in a hotel nearby?
A. He was in a hotel.
Q. On that, where is Mark at? We are all talking up his chances and he
is improving and he says he is on the way back?
A. I think he's pretty focused. He seemed like he was focused in the two
weeks we spent in LA, and practising hard and doing the training. If he
stays healthy he could have a very big year. We all know he has got the
tools and he has a got a lot of power there, so when he gets it going he's
pretty overwhelming.
Q. Just going back to the Davis Cup again.
A. Yes.
Q. What has brought the change of mind and does it indicate a change of
approach by you to your priorities as far as the game is concerned now?
A. Well, I need to feel inspired out there, and the last couple of years
there have been moments throughout the year where, playing certain events,
I felt I had a hard time getting going, and Davis Cup means something. You
are playing for your team-mates and you are playing for your country, and
you prepare like a Grand Slam. And I feel that over the next number of years
whenever I decide to hang it up, but it was a decision that hopefully will
work out in the long run. Davis Cup has been in the past where you play
a lot and overplay and I have tended to - I have broken down. But having
a tie after this tournament and then the one after Miami, both in the states,
possibly works out well. It is something that - it means something, and
I need to go out there and feel inspiration and motivation and Davis Cup
has always done that for me. That's where I'm at. I can't have that fiery
- each week I play in a tour, Davis Cup is a great week, you're playing
part of a team and we have a great young player, Andy Roddick, who is going
to make a pretty good team-mate, so I am excited, I really am. I think it
will be a good thing for me at this stage of my career.
Q. Are you excited by Roddick?
A. I think anyone who has that potential and that game, I think he is the
best young player we have in the US. He has a lot of power there and a lot
of confidence, he plays with a lot the energy out there. I think most Americans
should be pretty excited about his potential.
Q. What is an a opinion of yours on Nieminen, because he seems to be a
pretty good player. He was US Open junior champ and unfortunately a future
opponent in the Davis Cup team?
A. Yes, I think he has got a good game. He possesses a pretty good first
serve and he moves well and he has some great passing shots. And he is only
20, so I think he is going to learn from this match and gain some more experience.
But I think he has a lot of potential. He has got good wheels and competes
hard, and I think he will get better and better.
Q. Philippoussis said yesterday that you had changed your eating habits.
How radical has the change been and how bad were your habits?
A. My habits were fine, but, you know, when you get a little bit older,
and I don't eat a lot of vegetables, and that is what I need. I need to
eat a little bit better, and it helps in recovery, it helps with your energy.
It has always been good, but I think I have taken it to another level just
really being aware of everything that's going in my body. You can't afford
- a little thing can hurt you, if it is a dessert or a coke, those things
aren't healthy for you, so it is all about putting a lot of good nutrients
in your body.
Q. What have the hardest things been that you have had to cut out?
A. Well, it wasn't anything dramatic. I was just - I have always eaten
well, but just taking some extra minerals and vitamins to try to help out
the nutrition, and making sure you're drinking a lot of liquids and treating
your body like it is my livelihood, which it is, so I have made a real big
effort these last three months to eat as well as I can. When you are putting
in the training, you need to eat well.
Q. Do you favour the carbs or the protein? There is kind of dissent with
athletes at the moment, carbs versus proteins; which side would you favour?
A. You need a little bit of everything - the carbs, protein, vegetables.
Sure, when you are competing a lot, carbs give you a lot of energy, but
I need as much protein as I can handle. That is important for what I have,
but it is important to have a little bit of everything.
Q. How would you characterise the last months? Some of the hardest work
you have ever done?
A. Yes, I have really stepped it up and I told myself I am going to give
it one really, really hard push. In these last three months I have been
training hard, doing a lot of running and lifting and just doing whatever
I can to get in the best shape possible. When you hit 30, that is when -
I have been told by other athletes that is when you need to work twice as
hard and you need to push it, and I was committed to doing that and spending
a lot of time on the track, doing a lot of runs and conditioning, and I
really had a pretty good focus on what I was set out to do. Because there
is a early start here in Australia and you need to be in good shape. You
can do all those things, but you need to play matches. There's no substitute
for playing matches, and that is what I was needing, and today was a good
start to get a match.
Q. You said you felt pretty fit and you worked hard at training; is that
something you need to take it to another level this year?
A. Yes, I felt like I wanted to, I had the time do it. Since the Open I
haven't played much, so I had time to really give it a good push and had
about two months of just hard training. I only took a number of days off
and really put in a big effort in that area. You know, you just want to
put in the work. There are no short-cuts in this game.
Q. But much more than before?
A. Maybe a little bit more, maybe just pushing a little bit harder, you
know, playing back-to-back semis and finals at the Open and coming up short
again. I mean, you are different at 30 than 20, so you need to - you get
to a point where you just need to step it up, you need to step up the training,
and that's what I'm doing, and hopefully it will pay off this week.
Q. You talked about the need to have inspiration when you play: you looked
a lot more inspired and eager today than you did a year ago here. Is that
the case?
A. No, I mean, I am always inspired playing majors, and last year I wasn't
playing quite as well, I think my preparation this year has maybe been done
a little bit earlier, and I got into a pretty good routine here at the Colonial
and played pretty well there. Maybe I'm a little bit ahead of last year,
but it pretty much depends on the day and how you feel. You can kind of
overanalyse preparation and everything, but I feel fresh, I feel like I'm
moving well out there, and today was a good start.
Q. Was there any one disappointment last year more than any other that
made you think, 'I have to take a new look'?
A. No, it wasn't, no. I mean, the biggest disappointment for me last year
was coming home from Wimbledon. That one hit hard. That wasn't anything
to do with conditioning or being in shape, that was a tough loss. You know,
once you have that time off like I did after the Open, it is the time to
just do some training, keep on doing the conditioning and stepping it up,
but there wasn't any moment. Last year maybe after the finals against Hewitt
maybe I was - I don't want to say - I felt fine, I just kind emotionally
hit a wall and maybe physically hit a wall, but it has happened the last
couple of years there and it is a tough turnaround at that final. But as
long as I'm putting in the work I can live with myself, and if I don't get
the results that is frustrating but as long as I am putting in the effort
off the court, but I also need to play matches. That is what I need, that
is when I play well, is when I play a lot of matchess.
Q. I haven't seen you wear the hat before?
A. I am no longer under contract with Nike, and so I have decided to wear
this - a Lakers hat. I can wear whatever I want.
Q. Michael Chang lost today: how would you assess his game and what keeps
him going despite these setbacks?
A. I think Michael is one of best competitors we have. Even though he's
not playing like he was five years ago, I think his heart is still very
big and he goes out there and puts in the training and puts in the time.
Guys are getting better and stronger and it is tougher for him to kind of
outrun guys, and it is just a sign of the times of the power of the game.
It is tough staying back and, you know, doing a lot of running mentally
I think it has taken its toll for him, but he'll keep on fighting because
that's what Michael does.
Q. Are negotiations with Nike ongoing or are you talking to other companies?
A. No, no negotiating. At the end of the day you have to feel good about
the deals that you do, and as regards to Nike, I don't.
Back to Archives - 2002 | News