Sampras seeks major revival
August 21, 2002
Here is a trivia question for the future:
What do Fernando Gonzalez, Felix Mantilla, Max Mirnyi and Andrea Gaudenzi have in common?
Answer: They all beat Pete Sampras during 2002 - with the possible suffix "his last season on the ATP Tour".
To those names you could add George Bastl, and it was the unknown Swiss player's defeat of Sampras at Wimbledon that brought the American's decline into sharp and public focus.
Those who follow tennis all year round would not have been too shocked at the out-of-form Sampras going out of his favourite Grand Slam so early.
But no-one foresaw him losing to a lucky loser qualifier, a man who had never won a match on grass.
Sampras himself seemed devastated by the defeat.
After the match had finished, instead of hurrying away to the sanctuary of the locker-room, he slumped into his chair and stared shell-shocked into space.
It seemed that he really believed he was going to do well at Wimbledon despite being so low on confidence that he had resorted to reading notes of encouragement from his wife during changeovers.
Sampras now faces the US Open, having won just a handful of matches since the Wimbledon disaster.
It is a tournament that has happy memories for him, being the scene of the first of his 13 Grand Slam title wins in 1990 - with three more added there in subsequent years.
He has reached the past two finals, although both times has been blown off court in straight sets by one of the "new generation" - first Marat Safin, then Lleyton Hewitt.
Sampras' dismal form this season has led to the inevitable questions about retirement.
After Wimbledon he said that he thought he still had a few more years in him and added that he would not want to take his leave of SW19 in such inglorious circumstances.
But he may not have much choice.
The truth is that Sampras, whatever he himself believes, is no longer feared by his opponents.
The American has always been vulnerable on clay but when the master of grass suffers such poor results (he has won just two matches on the surface this year), it dents his previously impenetrable aura of invincibility.
The US Open could be crucial in hastening Sampras' retirement.
Not only is it the final Grand Slam of the season - and therefore a natural breaking point - but Sampras' success last year means that he is defending a lot of ranking points.
Already on a downward slide at 16, the 31-year-old faces the prospect of slipping out of the top 20 should he make an early exit at Flushing Meadows.
Sampras and his wife are expecting their first child, which has inevitably prompted more speculation that the trainers are about to be swapped for the slippers.
In what could be seen as a last throw of the dice, the seven-time Wimbledon champion recently rehired his old coach Paul Annacone.
The pair split last year, with Sampras moving on to Tom Gullikson and then Jose Higueras.
Neither partnership brought the desired results so Sampras has gone back to the tried and trusted Annacone.
The many who have enjoyed watching Sampras in his prime are hoping it works but the move has a whiff of desperation about it.
To put it bluntly, Pistol Pete is in last-chance saloon.
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