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Pete Sampras

Through The Decades: US Open Men’s Singles Winners

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Could this year’s US Open get any more dramatic? First, there were fears that the 140th edition of the Grand Slam wouldn’t take place at all. Then amid fears of travelling and safety issues as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, several big-name players dropped out. And now we have seen the World Number 1 and former US Open winner Novak Djokovic eliminated from the tournament, after striking a ball at a line judge. It means that the US Open tennis odds from Paddy Power have been constantly changing and it’s hard to predict who this year’s men’s singles champion will be. While we get our head around all the news and action, as we’ve reached a landmark year and edition of the tournament, let’s look back at victors at the start of the previous decades.

2010: Rafael Nadal

In winning the 2010 US Open, Rafael Nadal achieved a career Grand Slam – but it was his ninth major title. 10 years on, he’s won at Flushing Meadows a further three times, but won’t be retaining his title this year, having pulled out through concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

In the final, Nadal defeated Djokovic, 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–2 – but a spectacular run of form saw the Spaniard fail to drop a single set en route to the final. The number 1 seed had beaten a number of unranked opponents in the earlier rounds, before coming up against compatriots Feliciano López Díaz-Guerra and Fernando Verdasco. After successfully beating Mikhail Youzhny in the semi-finals, it took four sets for Nadal to beat Djokovic, who was the number 3 seed at the time. In winning, he became the first Spaniard since 1975 to win the US Open. And since then, he’s won a further 10 Grand Slam titles and reached an additional six finals.

2000: Marat Safin

The turn of the Millennium saw a number of shocks at Flushing Meadows – with highly ranked players being eliminated in early stages of the tournament, not least, World Number 1 Andre Agassi in the second round. And Marat Safin made history, in becoming the first Russian to ever win the men’s singles title at the US Open – a record that still stands to this day.

The number 8 seed came up against then four-time winner, Pete Sampras, who was the number 4 seed – and won in straight sets: 6–4, 6–3, 6–3. Safin’s road to the final wasn’t an easy one and it could have been oh so different in rounds 2 and 3, where it took five sets for him to overcome his unseeded opponents – Gianluca Pozzi and Sébastien Grosjean. In fact, it took two tie-breaks in the third round as the Russian eventually went through 6–4, 7–6 (7–3), 1–6, 3–6, 7–6 (7–5). From then on, it was much plainer sailing and a straight sets victory over the unseeded Todd Martin booked Safin’s place in the final – his first of four career Grand Slam finals.

1990: Pete Sampras

It was an all-American final in 1990, where Pete Sampras made his first Grand Slam final and was victorious over Andre Agassi, who was on the losing end of a second final that year. Sampras was the number 12 seed and sailed through the early rounds, before being pit against the number 6 ranked Austrian, Thomas Muster in the fourth round.

In the quarter-finals, he faced Ivan Lendl, and it took a five-set thriller for the American to progress, and in turn, put an end to Lendl’s record streak of eight consecutive men’s finals reached. After playing four sets against compatriot John McEnroe in the semi-finals, Sampras was victorious in a straight-sets final, winning 6–4, 6–3, 6–2. Sampras went on to win a further 13 major titles, but in failing to win the French Open, never completed a career Grand Slam.

 

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal

 

“Pete Sampras: Greatness Revisited” Book By Steve Flink Officially Released

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New Chapter Press, the world’s premier publisher of tennis books, today announced the launch of its latest book, “Pete Sampras: Greatness Revisited” by International Tennis Hall of Fame member Steve Flink.

For sale and download here via amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937559947/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_UeesFbJQPME51 “Pete Sampras: Greatness Revisited” reviews the career and legacy of Sampras, who when he announced his retirement in 2003 was the most accomplished men’s tennis player of all time with a record 14 major singles titles. The Sampras career and legacy, however, became quickly overshadowed with the emergence of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, all of whom surpassed the Sampras mark in a span of just over 16 years. Flink’s book, launched on the 30-year anniversary of the historic first major singles title for Sampras at the 1990 U.S. Open, re-examines the Sampras era and reminds readers of his dominance and excellence, focusing primarily on each major singles victory.

For the book, Flink extensively interviewed Sampras, who provided insight and perspective decades after his triumphs on the Grand Slam stages. The book also features perspectives and commentaries from Sampras rivals, coaches and tennis legends, including Novak Djokovic, Stefan Edberg, Goran Ivanisevic, Jim Courier, Patrick Rafter, Tom Gullikson, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Tracy Austin, Paul Annacone and Todd Martin among others.

“I felt compelled to write this book about a singularly commendable champion who set the highest ethical standards throughout a magnificent career,” said Flink. “Sampras was inspiring to me as a journalist who deeply valued his craftsmanship and authenticity— and immensely admired how he established himself as a quietly ferocious competitor and sportsman of the highest order.”

“Steve Flink is a tennis purist,” said Sampras in support of the book. “He followed my career as closely as any journalist. In this insightful biography, he shares his deep knowledge of tennis and writes with great clarity about me and how I approached my profession. Steve’s understanding of my game, my personality and my priorities is extraordinary.”

Six-time U.S. Open champion Chris Evert contributed the foreword to the book and wrote, “Steve is a great writer and historian and in this book he puts Pete’s career fully into perspective. I am sure you will enjoy reading this enlightening and comprehensive account about Pete Sampras, a very graceful champion and one of the greatest players any of us will ever see.”

Thirty years ago in 1990, at the age of 19 years and 28 days, Sampras became the youngest U.S. Open men’s singles champion with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Andre Agassi. Ten years later in 2000, Sampras won his record-breaking 13th major singles title, eclipsing the record for all-time men’s singles majors held by Roy Emerson, by beating Patrick Rafter 6–7 (10), 7–6 (5), 6–4, 6–2 in the Wimbledon final. Sampras put an exclamation point on his career at the 2002 U.S. Open when he defeatedAgassi 6–3, 6–4, 5–7, 6–4 to win his 14th career major singles title in a match that eventually became the final match of his career.

Flink is a tennis journalist and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame who has covered more than 100 major tennis tournaments in his career. He is a columnist for TennisChannel and Tennis.com and also the author of the book “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time.” He is the former editor of World Tennis magazine and a former senior columnist at Tennis Week. He is a former varsity tennis player at Stetson University in Florida and now lives in Katonah, New York.

Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press (www.NewChapterMedia.com) is also the publisher of “Juan Martin del Potro: The Gentle Giant” by Sebastian Torok, “The Pros: The Forgotten Era of Tennis” by Peter Underwood, “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All-Time” by Steve Flink, “The Education of a Tennis Player” by Rod Laver with Bud Collins, “The Secrets of Spanish Tennis” by Chris Lewit, “The Bud Collins History of Tennis” by Bud Collins, “The Wimbledon Final That Never Was” by Sidney Wood, “Titanic: The Tennis Story” by Lindsay Gibbs, “Macci Magic: Extracting Greatness From Yourself And Others” by Rick Macci with Jim Martz, “Andy Murray, Wimbledon Champion: The Full Extraordinary Story” by Mark Hodgkinson, “Cattle To Courts: A History of Tennis In Texas” by Ken McAllister, “Sport of a Lifetime: Enduring Personal Stories From Tennis” by Judy Aydelott, “Trojan Tennis: A History of the Storied Men’s Tennis Program at the University of Southern California” by S. Mark Young, “Absolute Tennis: The Best And Next Way To Play The Game” by Marty Smith, “How To Permanently Erase Negative Self Talk So You Can Be Extraordinary” by Emily Filloramo, “Acing Depression: A Tennis Champion’s Toughest Match” by Cliff Richey and Hilaire Richey Kallendorf, “Your Playbook For Beating Depression: Essential Strategies For Managing and Living with Depression” by Cliff Richey and Mary Garrison, “Roger Federer: Quest for Perfection” by Rene Stauffer, “The Days of Roger Federer” by Randy Walker, “Jan Kodes: A Journey To Glory From Behind The Iron Curtain” by Jan Kodes with Peter Kolar, “Tennis Made Easy” by Kelly Gunterman, “On This Day In Tennis History” by Randy Walker, “A Player’s Guide To USTA League Tennis” by Tony Serksnis, “Court Confidential: Inside The World Of Tennis” by Neil Harman, “A Backhanded Gift” by Marshall Jon Fisher, “Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games” by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli (www.Boycott1980.com), “Internet Dating 101: It’s Complicated, But It Doesn’t Have To Be” by Laura Schreffler, “How To Sell Your Screenplay” by Carl Sautter, “Bone Appetit: Gourmet Cooking For Your Dog” by Suzan Anson, “The Rules of Neighborhood Poker According to Hoyle” by Stewart Wolpin among others.

"Pete Sampras: Greatness Revisited" by Steve Flink
“Pete Sampras: Greatness Revisited” by Steve Flink

 

No Defending U.S. Open Champs For First Time Since 2003 – This Week In Tennis

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Defending U.S. Open women’s champion Bianca Andreescu’s withdrawal from the U.S. Open left the tournament without its two previous singles champions for the first time since 2003 and for the third time in the Open Era. Rafael Nadal previously announced his intention not to defend his 2019 title in New York. In 2003, Pete Sampras, who retired, and Serena Williams, who had a knee injury, did not show to defend their titles in New York. Margaret Court and Ken Rosewall did the same in 1971.

Some highlights from the week in tennis can be seen in the links below…

Bianca Andreescu Withdrawal Leaves U.S. Open Without Both Defending Singles Champions For First Time Since 2003 http://tennisgrandstand.com/2020/08/14/andreescu-withdrawal-leaves-2020-us-open-without-defending-champs-a-first-since-2003/

New Provisional ATP Calendar Released https://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2020/08/atp-updates-provisional-calendar-indoor-events-and-tour-finals/90086/

Lexington Tennis Club Owner Proud To Help Bring Back Tennis https://www.thenational.ae/sport/tennis/donia-shuhaiber-proud-to-play-her-part-in-bringing-tennis-back-from-coronavirus-hiatus-1.1064003

The 14 Majors From Pete Sampras Was Not His No. 1 Achievement https://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2020/08/sampras-14-majors-were-not-his-no-1-achievement/89842/#.XzRPo8ulRAY.twitter

Stefan Edberg Gives Roger Federer Retirement Advice https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/federer-handed-retirement-advice-edberg-114551841.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr

Five Bubbles, 400,000 Fans And Full Prize Money At 2021 Australian Open https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/five-bubbles-400-000-fans-and-full-prizemoney-at-2021-australian-open-20200812-p55l2l.html

Taylor Townsend Whacks Back At Online Trolls https://sports.yahoo.com/taylor-townsend-interview-created-routine-144358679.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr

Tennis Is A Good Way To Stay Active During The Pandemic https://news.gulfbreezenews.com/articles/tennis-a-good-way-to-stay-active-during-pandemic/

Tennis Is Booming In Albany, N.Y. During Pandemic https://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/ac-cs-doug-lamartin-tennis-column-20200811-iyz4e24cujhn7hynmoe7ksfb2i-story.html

Richard Williams Film Lawsuit Settled https://news.yahoo.com/lawsuit-over-smiths-tennis-biopic-210723234.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr

Watch Out For Taylor Fritz And Brandon Nakashima https://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2020/08/fritz-nakashima-california-2020-season-us-open-wildcard-atp/89954/?fbclid=IwAR05G2s017kQByyaIQaOJSEEK4Hzev9ICM7gBm45HSAPajNjWhoJJ8bOplI#.XzE51WcZ4SQ.twitter

Bianca Andreescu
Bianca Andreescu

 

The Greatest Four U.S. Open Matches In The 50 Years Of The Open Era

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By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher

Steve Flink is not only recognized as the International Tennis Hall of Fame journalist and historian, inducted in 2017, but also as the leading authority on the greatest tennis matches of all time. So much so that he wrote the book on it, not surprisingly called “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Times”

In his book, Flink describes in great detail and ranks the 31 greatest tennis matches of all time. (A last minute entry just before press time bumped the number of matches featured in the book from 30 to 31, as you can read here: http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/6294)

As part of his collection, Flink includes four that were played at the U.S. Open and we present them to you in US Open and All-Time order below.

US OPEN #4, ALL-TIME #21 – BILLIE JEAN KING d. EVONNE GOOLAGONG 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, final, U.S. Open, Forest Hills, grass, 1974

The last edition of the U.S. Championships to be contested on the grass courts, Billie Jean King and Evonne Goolagong played one of the most iconic major finals of all time, featuring some of the most exciting points that are still shown on highlight reels. “King and Goolagong produced some of the most spectacular points ever played in a match of this importance,” wrote Flink of this battle between 1970s tennis icons.

“In many ways, none of her competitive victories matched her triumph over Goolagong at Forest Hills in 1974,” Flink wrote of Billie Jean King. “She had played better tennis matches before, from a purely technical standpoint, but she had never shown more gumption under such trying circumstances.”

“My greatest high,” Goolagong would say years later to Flink, “was to hit a ball well, to try to do it perfectly, to try different things with my shots whether they came off or not. I can think back to matches I lost where I played one or two points perfectly, and that gave me a thrill. The most exciting match I ever played was the 1974 U.S. Open final against Billie Jean, and I lost it. What I recall most about that match was standing there in the Forest Hills stadium. Billie Jean and I had just had a great point. I looked down at my arms and there were goosebumps.”

US OPEN #3, ALL-TIME #19 – JIMMY CONNORS d. BJORN BORG 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9), 6-4, final, U.S. Open, 1976

In 1974, Jimmy Connors dominated tennis, winning all three major tournaments he played (he was not allowed to play the French Open, due to his participating in World Team Tennis). However, Connors was shutout of major titles until beating Bjorn Borg is this riveting and important final at the U.S. Open, capped with perhaps the most exciting tiebreaker played in the history of the event under the lights on clay at the West Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills.

Said Connors after the victory, “If the sun rose and set only on Wimbledon and Forest Hills,” he reflected, “there would be a lot of guys without tans.” Wrote Flink, “That was a fair comment, but Connors fully realized that he could not settle for minor triumphs. He had built his reputation on getting the job done when the stakes were high and this triumph over Borg on a landmark occasion was one of the shining moments of Connors’s career.”

US OPEN #2, ALL-TIME #17 – JUSTINE HENIN d. JENNIFER CAPRIATI 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4), semifinal, U.S. Open, 2003

In my “On This Day In Tennis History” book, ebook, audio book and mobile app, I list two of Justine Henin historic wins on the same date, September 6, 2003, because her epic semifinal win over Jennifer Capriati ended at 12:27 am, so technically the same date as her final-round win over Kim Clijsters the next evening.

Wrote Flink, “Henin had recorded a singularly impressive triumph over a keynote rival, somehow eclipsing Capriati 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4) in three hours, gaining the win under adverse circumstances in front of a partisan crowd heavily favoring her opponent. Henin had overcome one Jennifer Capriati, the frenzied nighttime crowd, two bouts of cramps, and whatever demons were surely invading her mindset, to reach her first U.S. Open final. That was no mean feat. For Capriati, the defeat was devastating in many ways, deeply wounding, even bewildering. She had been on the edge of winning the match so many times that to come out second best in such a scuffle was almost more than she could bear.”

Said Capriati after the match, “You have to give her [Henin] credit for the way she was feeling, to stay out there and win. But I definitely feel I had the match in my hands, and it was my match to win….When I came off the court, I just felt the whole world was coming down on me. My heart was being ripped out. It was a great match and I gave it all I had. She did, too…Some losses that stay with you forever, the same as the wins.”

Said Henin, “In the first set I think it was a very high level of tennis. I was leading 4-1 but Jennifer was playing very well. I was playing unbelievable. And then the crowd gave her a lot of support. It wasn’t easy for myself in the first set, but I stayed very calm…Then she was leading me 5-3 in the second set. That was the key of the tournament, 30-30, I come to the net. It’s a big save I did at this point. In the third set I was cramping. I wasn’t able to think at all because I thought the match was over many times. It was an amazing feeling [to win]. Unbelievable.”

US OPEN #1, ALL-TIME #9 – PETE SAMPRAS d. ANDRE AGASSI 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5), quarterfinal, U.S. Open, 2001

It is interesting that Flink places a quarterfinal match and not a final as his greatest U.S. Open match, according to the rankings in this book. However, there is no denying the brilliance exhibited between all-time greats Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi in this night-time spectacle. Wrote Flink of Sampras and Agassi, “They had never played simultaneously at a loftier level against each other. They had produced what many considered the best match ever at the U.S. Open. They had joyously shared in a masterpiece of a match, and it was a contest that would linger forever in the minds of all who were there to witness it.”

Said Sampras to Flink in 2012 of his triumph, “It is rare in tennis when two guys are playing great at the same time. I was doing what I do really well that night, and Andre was solid as a rock and wasn’t making any errors. So we just got into this dogfight. Physically I felt like I was doing more of the work because of the stopping and starting with my serve-and-volley, so I was feeling it in my legs a little bit at the end of the match. Andre was mentally very strong that night. It was two great players playing really well and it resulted in one of the best and most dramatic matches that I was ever a part of. People to this day still ask me about that match. It was ironic that it was a quarterfinal but people were ready for this match and I felt both of us lived up to it.”

“THE GREATEST TENNIS MATCHES OF ALL TIME,” a hard-cover book that retails for $28.95, can be purchased via this link http://m1e.net/c?136411417-LVOB7oNCoIRGc%407612075-eWVmYMp7oSMI2 at www.NewChapterMedia.com and where ever books are sold.

Flink, one of the most respected writers and observers in the game, is currently a columnist for TennisChannel.com. A resident of Katonah, N.Y., he is the former editor of World Tennis magazine and a former senior columnist at Tennis Week.

The book has received high praise from some of the most respected names in the sport, including Chris Evert, a winner of 18 major singles titles, who wrote the foreword to the book.

Said seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras, “Steve Flink was there reporting on almost every big match I played in my career. He has seen all of the great players for the last 45 years. I encourage you to read this book because Steve is one of the most insightful writers on the game that I have known and he really knows his tennis.”

Said former U.S. Davis Cup captain and player Patrick McEnroe, “As a writer and a fan, Steve Flink’s knowledge of tennis history and his love of the sport are second to none, which is why you should read his new book.”

Said ESPN’s Cliff Drysdale, “To see tennis through the eyes of Steve Flink is to wander through a wonderland. These are not fantasies because Steve captures the essence of tennis matches in graphic detail. There is no one more passionate or caring about his subject. In this absorbing book, I can relive matches that I have called on television.”

Said CBS, NBC and Tennis Channel commentator Mary Carillo, “The GREATEST TENNIS MATCHES OF ALL TIME is a masterful tennis epic. Its pages are brimming with insight, hindsight. And as always with Steve Flink, the 20/20 vision of the subtleties and complexities of a match. From Budge to Nadal and “Little Mo” to Serena Williams, Steve will guide you through the greatest matches you ever saw, or never saw. The game’s finest players and brightest moments will come alive and play again, right before your eyes. This book is a tennis treasure.”

Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press (www.NewChapterMedia.com) is also the publisher of “Roger Federer: Quest for Perfection” by Rene Stauffer, “The Bud Collins History of Tennis” by Bud Collins, “The Education of a Tennis Player” by Rod Laver with Bud Collins, “The Wimbledon Final That Never Was” by Sidney Wood, “Acing Depression: A Tennis Champion’s Toughest Match” by Cliff Richey and Hilaire Richey Kallendorf, “Titanic: The Tennis Story” by Lindsay Gibbs, “Jan Kodes: A Journey To Glory From Behind The Iron Curtain” by Jan Kodes with Peter Kolar, “Tennis Made Easy” by Kelly Gunterman, “On This Day In Tennis History” by Randy Walker, “A Player’s Guide To USTA League Tennis” by Tony Serksnis, “Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games” by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli (www.Boycott1980.com), “The Lennon Prophecy” by Joe Niezgoda (www.TheLennonProphecy.com), “Bone Appetit, Gourmet Cooking For Your Dog” by Susan Anson, “How To Sell Your Screenplay” by Carl Sautter, “The Rules of Neighborhood Poker According To Hoyle” by Stewart Wolpin, “People’s Choice Guide Cancun” by Eric Rabinowitz, “Lessons from the Wild” by Shayamal Vallabhjee among others.

1974 US Open Final Billie Jean King and Evonne Goolagong
1974 US Open Final Billie Jean King and Evonne Goolagong

Todd Martin Was The “Fifth Beatle” Of American Tennis, But Who Was Paul, John, George And Ringo?

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

 

Todd Martin was part of what many describe as the greatest era of American tennis. After playing two years at Northwestern University, Martin turned pro at the 1990 U.S. Open and embarked on a 14-year professional career that saw him win eight ATP singles titles, five ATP doubles titles, a career-high ranking of No. 4 and runner-up showings at the 1990 US Open and the 1994 Australian Open. To boot, Martin was a long-time and loyal member of the U.S. Davis Cup team, helping the team win the 1995 title.

Martin, however, had the unfortunate luck to be playing in the same era as 14-time major champion Pete Sampras, eight-time major champion Andre Agassi, four-time major champion Jim Courier and 1989 French Open champion Michael Chang. Only Chang did not reach the No. 1 ranking, but he did make it to No. 2.

Martin has described himself as “the Fifth Beatle” of this general of American tennis legends. In an interview with myself and Meredith Bach with 1490 WGCH Radio as part of the “Anything Goes” Radio program, Martin discusses himself as “The Pete Best” of American tennis and labels who among Pete, Andre, Jim and Michael was the corresponding Paul, John, George and Ringo of American tennis. Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKTOc8ZGJPw

For the rest of this interview with Martin, watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syfvIyc75kA

 

Paul McCartney and Pete Sampras
Paul McCartney and Pete Sampras

What Are The Greatest Ever Matches At The BNP Paribas Open In Indian Wells?

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

Jim Courier’ fifth-set tiebreaker final-round victory over Guy Forget in the final of the modern-day BNP Paribas Open in 1991 came up as one of the anniversaries from March 10 on my “This Day In Tennis History” book, ebook, audio book and mobile app.

I started to think that perhaps Courier’s 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) win is probably one of the greatest matches ever played in annual California desert tournament.

I went through the mobile app, choosing the search terms “Indian Wells” and “LaQuinta” and choose some of the greatest matches in the history of the modern-day BNP Paribas Open.

Here they are listed. We encourage readers to chime in on social media to comment on these matches and suggest others. Go to www.TennisHistoryApp.com and www.NewChapterMedia.com for more information on “This Day In Tennis History.”

 

March 16, 2014: Novak Djokovic beats Roger Federer in tensely-fought final at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., decided by a final-set tie-breaker. After failing to serve out the match at 5-4 in the third set, Djokovic rallies to win five of the first six points of the decisive tie-breaker and holds on for a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) win in their 33rd career meeting. “As I said before the match today, very few points will decide a winner, and that’s what happened,” says Djokovic, trailing in the career head-to-head against Federer 17-16. “Roger is playing in a very high level…. He just played better than he did in the last 13, 14 months. I needed to really be in the top of my game and very concentrated the last moment in order to win. That’s what I’ve done. Very proud of my achievements during this tournament.” Says Federer of the loss, “It was an interesting end to the match, no doubt, but I think he played well. At the end he made sure he kept the ball in play and I might have made a few too many errors when it really mattered. But I think he made a crucial sort of 20 minutes, half an hour midway through the second set and third set where things could have gone either way. But credit to him for toughening it out and winning that second set and getting the breaker in the third.”

March 19, 2008: Rafael Nadal wins 21 of the last 27 points and comes back from a 2-5 third set deficit to defeat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 7-5 in the round of 16 of the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, Calif., and avenge his semifinal thrashing by the hands of the Frenchman at the Australian Open earlier in the year. Says Tsonga, “Yeah, it was a very important match for me, because I would like to show everybody… my run in the Australian Open is not lucky. I want to prove [to] everybody I can play at this level, so yeah, I’m disappointed about this.” Says Nadal, “The ball and the court is a little different here, no? The ball is getting a lot of topspin, so much more than in Australia, so that helps me a little bit. For the rest…well, I play better today than in Australia but the conditions are better here for me…The victory is important for me, but the victory like this is always special and gives me confidence.”

March 21, 2008: Playing the final-set tie-break with a hole in his shoe – and his sock – Mardy Fish outlasts No. 7 ranked David Nalbandian 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4) in the quarterfinals of the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, Calif. Fish, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist ranked No. 98 in the world, holds two match points in the 10th game of the final set – but squanders them – then has his serve immediately broken, giving Nalbandian the opportunity to serve out the match. Fish then breaks Nalbandian before gutting out the final-set tie break

March 19, 2005: Kim Clijsters defeats world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to win the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells. Calif. The tournament marks only the second tournament since she makes a return to the WTA Tour following surgery on her right wrist that sidelines her for most of 2004.

March 17, 2001: Booed as she enters the court for her final round match against Kim Clijsters at the Tennis Masters Series –Indian Wells, Serena Williams withstands the harsh fan and media allegations of match-fixing, by defeating Clijsters 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Fans react severely to the Williams family after Venus Williams abruptly withdraws from her semifinal match with Serena Williams the day before. “In the beginning, I was a little shocked,” Serena says. “Then I was like, ‘Wow, this is getting old. Move on to something new…I prayed to God just to help me be strong, not even to win, but to be strong, not listen to the crowd.” The withdrawal and aftermath came on the heels of tabloid story in the National Enquirer stating that Williams father Richard fixed the 2000 Wimbledon semifinal between the two sisters.

March 13, 1999: Serena Williams wins the Evert Cup in Indian Wells, Calif., with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 win over Steffi Graf. The 17-year-old Williams comes back from a 2-4 deficit in the third set to win her second title and 11th straight match in the last month. Says Williams, ranked No. 21, following the match, “I definitely think in the next couple of months I’ll be in the top 10. The only thing that can keep me away from the top 10 is if I quit playing tournaments for the rest of the year. Other than that, I definitely see myself there soon and farther.” Williams would go much farther than the top 10 as she goes on to win her first major singles title at the U.S. Open in September, defeating world No. 1 Martina Hingis in the final.

March 14, 1999: One day after defeating Gustavo Kuerten to clinch the world’s No. 1 ranking, Carlos Moya is defeated by Mark Philippoussis 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in the final of the Newsweek Champions Cup in Indian Wells, Calif. “To be No. 1 and then win the title on top of that would have been the perfect beginning, but today he’s better than me so that’s it,” says Moya after the match.

March 15, 1998: Tempermental Marcelo Rios of Chile loses a second-set tie-break in 32 points – the only set he would lose all week – and wins the Newsweek Champions Cup in Indian Wells, Calif., defeating Britain’s Greg Rusedski 6-3, 6-7 (15-17), 7-6 (4), 6-4. Says Rios of his reputation as one of the meanest players in tennis, “I’m nice sometimes. In Chile, there’s even a lot of kids who want to be like me.”

March 14, 1996: Steffi Graf needs 2 hours, 44 minutes to fight off a bad back and defeat Lindsay Davenport 6-7 (6), 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the semifinals of the State Farm Evert Classic in Indian Wells, Calif. “Every match she plays, there is something wrong with her,” says Davenport, “but even when she is so hurt, she always plays real well.”

March 16, 1996: Steffi Graf wins her 96th career singles title in her first tournament appearance in 1996, defeating Conchita Martinez 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) in the final of the State Farm Evert Cup in Indian Wells, Calif.

March 13, 1995: In their 14th career match-up and re-match of the Australian Open men’s singles final six weeks earlier, Pete Sampras defeats Andre Agassi 7-5, 6-3, 7-5 in a sun-down final of the Newsweek Champions Cup in Indian Wells, Calif., avenging his loss in Australia. “If we battle for the next 10 years, it will be great for the game,” says Sampras. “It’s different when I play Andre. It’s like two heavyweights going at it.”

March 5, 1994: After barely winning points against the surging serve of Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras scrapes out a service break in the final game of the match to overcome the Swede 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 and advance to the final of the Newsweek Champions Cup in Indian Wells, Calif. Writes Jim Murray of Sampras in the Los Angeles Times, “Playing Sampras in a three-set match is like fighting a bobcat in a closet. You don’t have too much time to figure out strategy. It’s tough playing a guy when your best hope is that he will miss. It’s like hoping the alligator doesn’t see you.” In the other semifinal, Petr Korda dispatches of Aaron Krickstein 6-4, 6-4. The following day, Sampras wins the Newsweek title, edging Korda 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

February 28, 1993: Mary Joe Fernandez saves two match points and wins the singles title at the Evert Cup in Indian Wells, Calif., defeating Amanda Coetzer 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 (6) in a two-hour and 47-minute singles final. Fernandez fights off two match points serving a 4-5 in the final set, before prevailing 8-6 in the final-set tie-break.

March 5, 1991: Playing in a dust storm with 30 mile per hour winds, John McEnroe edges Wally Masur 7-6, 2-6, 7-5 in 2 hours, 35 minutes in the first round of the Newsweek Champions Cup in Indian Wells, Calif. Says McEnroe following the match in the challenging conditions, “It was just what I wouldn’t have wanted, high winds, and it seemed extra bright to me, but it was a heck of a match, anyway.” Says Masur of the third set of the match that features the worst of the conditions, “There was a bit of dust on the court. We both slipped a few times. I made the mistake of not serving and volleying enough in the third, and he continued to serve-and-volley.”

March 7, 1991: Jim Courier defeats good friend Andre Agassi 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the round of 16 at the Newsweek Champions Cup in Indian Wells, Calif. Following the match, the No. 26 ranked Courier explains that the win over Agassi could have implications for his career, “Last year, I didn’t have one win that stuck out, that meant anything. This match may not be the one that gets me over the hump, this could just be a blemish, but today I wanted to close the deal and I did.”

March 10, 1991: Twenty-year-old Jim Courier, ranked No. 26 in the world, wins his second career singles title, defeating No. 5 ranked Guy Forget 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) to win the Newsweek Champions Cup in Indian Wells, Calif. “To win it – and it sounds like a cliché – but it’s a big honor for me,” says Courier.

March 11, 1990: Stefan Edberg defeats Andre Agassi 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (6) in nearly three-and-a-half hours in the final of the Newsweek Champions Cup in Indian Wells, Calif.

March 19, 1989: Miloslav Mecir becomes the last player to win an ATP tour event with a wooden racquet when he defeats Yannick Noah 3-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 in the men’s singles final at the Newsweek Champions Cup in Indian Wells, Calif.

February 29, 1988: Pete Sampras, a 16-year-old high school junior from Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., wins his first ATP singles match, defeating No. 37-ranked Ramesh Krishnan of India 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 in the first round of the Newsweek Champions Cup in Indian Wells, Calif. Sampras, an amateur who advances into the tournament via the qualifying rounds, saves five match points in the third set. Sampras goes on to win 761 more ATP tour-level matches in his career, including 14 major singles titles.

March 6, 1988: Boris Becker needs three hours, 4 minutes in 104-degree on-court temperatures to defeat Emilio Sanchez 7-5, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the final of the Champions Cup in Indian Wells, Calif.

February 20, 1982: Yannick Noah defeats Ivan Lendl 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the final of the ATP event in LaQuinta, Calif., ending Lendl’s 44-match, eight-tournament winning streak. Noah becomes the first player to defeat Lendl in a five-month span. Noah calls the win “one of the biggest of my life.” Lendl’s last loss was a round of 16 defeat to Vitas Gerulaitis at the 1981 US Open. Says Lendl, “It’s just another match and I’m sure I’m going to lose many more in my career.” Lendl’s streak was the longest in men’s tennis since Guillermo Vilas won 50 straight matches in 1977.

Jim Courier Wins Indian Wells in 1991
Jim Courier Wins Indian Wells in 1991

Karolina Pliskova, Lucas Pouille Wins Give Reason To Celebrate US Open’s Ultimate-Set Tiebreakers

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by Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

 

Ultimate-set tiebreakers have been the talk of the U.S. Open with Lucas Pouille defeating Rafael Nadal 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (6) in the fourth round of men’s singles and Karolina Pliskova beating Venus Williams 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3) in the fourth round of women’s singles. I have been tweeting that the ultimate set-tiebreaker is the most exciting 10 minutes in tennis.

Pliskova’s win came on the 20-year anniversary of one of the all-time great ultimate-set tiebreakers, Pete Sampras defeating Alex Corretja in the quarterfinals of the 1996 U.S. Open.

The U.S. Open is, of course, the only of the four major championships to have a fifth-set tiebreaker, the other three majors electing to play out ultimate sets. This can lead to all sorts of insanity, as witnessed by John Isner’s 70-68 fifth-set win over Nicolas Mahut in 2012. I’ve ranted about ultimate-set tiebreakers and how they are needed across the board in tennis, as you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtVQNUWoXxs

Olympic tennis has caught on as the International Tennis Federation has dictated that ultimate sets will now feature tiebreakers, as witnessed at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

So, in celebration of ultimate-set tiebreakers at the U.S. Open, here are a list of some of the best of all-time, mostly picked from my book, ebook, audio book and mobile app “This Day In Tennis History” (available at www.TennisHistoryApp.com)

 

1991 Women’s Semifinals – Monica Seles over Jennifer Capriati: Seventeen-year-old Monica Seles and 15-year-old Jennifer Capriati slug it out in the dramatic women’s semifinal at the U.S. Open with Seles hanging on to advance into the U.S. Open final for the first time with a nail-biting 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (4) victory. Capriati serves for the match on two occasions – at 5-4 and 6-5 in the final set, but is unable to convert. Says Capriati, “I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.” Says Seles, “We both didn’t want to give up unitl the last ball…There was a lot of pressure on me because she was running every ball down.”

2003 Women’s Semifinals – Justin Henin-Hardenne over Jennifer Capriati: In the wee-hours of the morning the night before, Justine Henin-Hardenne finally defeats Jennifer Capriati 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4) in the women’s semifinal in a match that concludes at 12:27 a.m. The Capriati-Henin-Hardenne match lasts 3 hours, 3 minutes with Capriati serving for the match in both in the second and third sets. She is two points from winning the match 11 times, but is unable to break through. Curiously, both Capriati and Henin-Hardenne win 127 points in the match.

1981 Women’s Final – Tracy Austin over Martina Navratilova: A tie-breaker determines the winner of a major singles title for the first time as 18-year-old Tracy Austin wins her second U.S. Open singles title edging first-time finalist and newly-minted American citizen Martina Navratilova in the final 1-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (1). “This means more to me than the last one,” says Austin. “At 16, it all came so fast. It was kind of like the stepping stone. I had come onto the women’s tour and gradually had gotten better and better. I was too young to realize how important it was.”

1984 Men’s Semifinal – Ivan Lendl over Pat Cash: Perhaps the single greatest day in tennis history, as Ivan Lendl defeats Pat Cash 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4) in the first men’s semifinal, winning the final-set tie-breaker 7-4. Lendl famously saving a match point at 5-6, ad in with a forehand top-spin lob over Cash’s head.

2005 Men’s Quarterfinal – Andre Agassi over James Blake: Andre Agassi and James Blake compete in one of the most exciting U.S. Open matches of all time, Agassi finishing off a two-sets-to-love comeback win at 1:15 am winning an 8-6 fifth-set tiebreaker to advance into the men’s semifinals with a 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory. “It couldn’t have been more fun to lose,” Blake tells Agassi as the two Americans embrace at the net after the two-hour, 51-minute match. “At 1:15 in the morning for 20,000 people to still be here, I wasn’t the winner, tennis was,” Agassi tells the crowd. “I don’t know if I’ve ever felt this good here before.” Blake serves for the match at 5-4 in the fifth but is denied by Agassi. Blake also leads by 5-4, serving, in the fifth-set tiebreaker but Agassi rallies to win four of the last five points.

1991 Men’s Fourth Round – Jimmy Connors over Aaron Krickstein: In one of the most famous matches in the history of the U.S. Open, Jimmy Connors turns 39-years-old and comes back from a two-sets-to-one and a 2-5 fifth-set deficit to defeat 27-year-old Aaron Krickstein 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 in a rousing fourth round match in the late afternoon of Labor Day Monday, “This is what I live for, to win a match 7-6 in the fifth,” says Connors, who pulls a similar escape in the first round against Patrick McEnroe, trailing two sets to love and 3-0 in the third set. “For me to pull out another stunt like this, how can you not laugh about it? What the hell is going on here?” Connors struts, fist-pumps and grinds around the court in the 4 hour, 42-minute encounter, calling chair umpire David Littlefield “an abortion” after questioning a call and telling TV viewers before the fifth-set tie-break, “This is what they paid for. This is what they want.” Writes Tommy Bonk in the Los Angeles Times, “Connors came from a break down in the fifth set, got it back even as Krickstein served for the match at 5-3, climbed into the deciding tiebreaker with a windmill overhead on which his feet cleared the court by a good two inches and knocked a backhand volley into the open court to end it on the first match point. Along the way, Connors carried on in what has become his time-honored tradition, alternating somewhere between reform school and charm school.”

1985 Women’s Final – Hana Mandlikova over Martina Navratilova: Hana Mandlikova wins her only U.S. Open singles crown defeating Martina Navratilova in the final 7-6 (3), 1-6, 7-6 (2). The 23-year-old Czech becomes the first non-American woman to win the U.S. singles title since Margaret Court of Australia in 1970. Mandlikova, who beat Chris Evert in the semifinals, bursts out to a 5-0 lead in the first set and hangs on to win the first set in a tie-breaker. Mandlikova, seeded No. 3, wins the last six points of the decisive, third-set tie-breaker. Says Mandlikova, “I just think that finally everything fell into place and I showed I can play.”

1986 Women’s Semifinal – Martina Navratilova over Steffi Graf: Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf complete one of the greatest U.S. Open women’s semifinal matches ever as Navratilova comes back from three match points down to claim a 1-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (10-8) semifinal victory over the 17-year-old West German. Navratilova, who displays fist-shaking and finger-waving emotion, leads 4-1 in the first set before the match is delayed a day due to rain and completes the inspired victory in a total match-playing time of 2 hours, 19 minutes. Writes Roy Johnson of the New York Times, “It took more than 24 hours to complete, with emotions that ranged from exultation to disappointment. In between, two players tested and stretched one another and provided a sellout crowd at the National Tennis Center with the most dramatic match of the tournament.”

1996 Men’s Quarterfinal – Pete Sampras over Alex Corretja: Defending champion and No. 1 seeded Pete Sampras, fighting off fatigue and becoming ill on court, outlasts Alex Corretja 7-6 (5), 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7) in the quarterfinals in one of the most dramatic matches ever at the U.S. Open. Sampras vomits on the court after the second point of the final-set tie-break and fights off a match point at 6-7 in the tiebreaker with a stab volley. At 7-7, Sampras, struggling with his strength, serves a second-serve ace to take an 8-7 lead. Sampras appears barely able to play another point – and doesn’t need to – as Corretja double-faults the match away on the next point. Says Corretja following the match, “It was probably the best match of my career – the best one and the worst one.”

1985 Women’s Quarterfinal – Steffi Graf over Pam Shriver: In the first U.S. Open match where every set is determined by tiebreakers, sixteen-year-old advances into the semifinals at major championship for the first time in her career by upsetting No. 4 seed Pam Shriver 7-6 (4), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4) on the Grandstand court at the USTA National Tennis Center. Shriver leads 4-1 in the final set, serves for the match at 5-3, and leads 4-3 in the final-set tiebreaker, losing the last four points in the match. “It was one of the most unbelievable matches that I’ve been a part of,” Shriver says following the two-hour, 46-minute match. “My effort couldn’t have been more–and it was just about two points too less.” Said Graf, “I don’t think I’ve ever played such a close match.”

1980 Men’s Semifinal – John McEnroe over Jimmy Connors: In a struggle between the last two men to win the U.S. Open men’s singles titles, defending champion John McEnroe beats 1978 champion Jimmy Connors 6-4, 5-7, 0-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3). The tie-breaker was mostly bereft of drama as McEnroe won six of the first seven points, before holding on for the win.

1987 Men’s First Round – Ken Flach over Darren Cahill: Ken Flach defeats qualifier Darren Cahill 1-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (15), in 3 hours 18 minutes in the xx round. The 17-15 tie-breaker score is the longest at the U.S. Open in men’s singles competition since the tiebreaker is introduced in 1970.

1998 Men’s Quarterfinal – Mark Philippoussis over Thomas Johansson: Mark Philippoussis advances to his first major semifinal with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 7-6 (12-10) win over Thomas Johansson, saving three match points in the final-set tiebreaker.

2013 Men’s First Round – Rogerio Dutra Da Silva over Vasek Pospisil: Rogerio Dutra of Brazil saves seven match points and beats Vasek Pospisil 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (9), 6-2, 7-6 (10) in the first round.

1985 Men’s First Round – John McEnroe over Shlomo Glickstein: Top-seed and world No. 1 John McEnroe survives a monumental first-round scare and defeats world No. 137 Shlomo Glickstein of Israel 6-1, 6-7, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7). McEnroe trails by a service break twice in the fifth set, but rallies to force the final-set tiebreaker. He leads 6-3 in the ultimate tie-breaker, but is wrecked with nerves and finally converts on his fifth match point of the match. “It was an amazing struggle,” says McEnroe after the win. “I was in shock. By the time I realized I was in for a tough match, I had to fight my bleep off to win it. I’ve never been so happy to win a first-round match.”

1990 Women’s Third Round – Linda Ferrando over Monica Seles: Unheralded and No. 82-ranked Linda Ferrando of Italy upsets No. 3 seed and 16-year-old Monica Seles 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3) in the third round of the US Open. Says Seles, “I’ve never seen play before so I didn’t know what to expect from her. After the first set, I knew she was going to be a bigger problem to finish off.”

 

Do you have any other U.S. Open ultimate set-tiebreakers that you would like to share? Share with me on Twitter at @TennisPublisher or email me at Rwalker@NewChapterMedia.com

 

Pete Sampras during 1996 Fifth-Set Tiebreaker with Alex Corretja
Pete Sampras during 1996 Fifth-Set Tiebreaker with Alex Corretja

At Age 36, Venus Williams Not Ready For Retirement

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

 

When I received an emailed media advisory a few weeks ago announcing that Venus Williams was hosting a conference call to announce her summer plans, my first thought was she might announce that she would retire after the 2016 U.S. Open.

Vickie Gunnarsson, the tournament director for the Bank of the West Tennis Championships, was also advertised as being on the call which also raised a suspicion. The Bank of the West tournament was the event where Williams made her celebrated pro debut in 1994, as you can read about here in the “Macci Magic” book excerpt here: http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/10771

It would seem natural for Venus to retire after this year’s U.S. Open. She is 36 years old and hasn’t won a major title in eight years since Wimbledon in 2008. This August in Rio, she is going to be playing at her fifth Olympic Games, an event she is perhaps most associated with after winning four gold medals in singles and doubles. She couldn’t possibly still be playing pro tennis at age 40 during the Tokyo Olympics, could she? After the Rio Olympic Games, what does she have left to play for?

However, not having to play for a tangible title is not always a reason for an elite athlete to end a career.

I remembered one of the quotes that I have saved from Venus, to use for some social media promotion, where she simply said, “I like my job and think it is a wonderful thing being a tennis player.”

Venus has fun playing tennis. She enjoys the lifestyle of a professional tennis player. Why give this life up if you’re still a viable player? She is, after all, ranked No. 8 in the WTA singles rankings.

To not much surprise, this media conference call was not a retirement conference call and when Venus eventually hangs up her racquet is still unknown.

How a professional tennis player exits the game is strictly a personal decision. Each player handles it in different ways. Andre Agassi announced that he would retire at the U.S. Open at age 36 during a pre-event Wimbledon press conference in 2006. Andy Roddick left the game suddenly at the 2012 U.S. Open when he realized he was done with pro tennis after his first-round win over Rhyne Williams, saying on his 30th birthday, “I’ve thought all year that I would know when I got to this tournament and when I played the first round, I knew.”

After winning the 2002 U.S. Open at age 31, Pete Sampras withdrew from not only the U.S. Davis Cup team’s semifinal against France the following week, but he proceeded to withdraw from tournament after tournament following his win, into in the 2003 season, trying to find the motivation to continue. He finally realized that he was done when he withdrew from Wimbledon and he announced his retirement at the start of the 2003 U.S. Open, 50 weeks after hitting his last shot as a pro.

After winning her 22nd major title at the French Open in 1999, a 30-year-old Steffi Graf lost the final of Wimbledon to Lindsay Davenport. She played Amy Frazier in her opening match at the WTA event in San Diego weeks later, but could not finish the match due to injury and, days later in Germany, announced her retirement in a press conference.

Most poignantly for me was how Todd Martin ended his professional career at age 34. When he played his last tournament at the 2004 U.S. Open, he said his ranking, which dropped to No. 138 after his first-round loss to Fabrice Santoro, no longer dictated that he would be able to be directly entered into ATP tournaments. His ranking, he said, decreed his exit from the game.

People ask the same of 34-year-old Roger Federer and when will he retire. Like Williams, he also simply loves to play tennis, and loves the competition and the lifestyle. Let’s also not kid ourselves, he and Williams and others love the paychecks they receive too, and the perks that come along with being a top pro. Federer is, of course, still a contender for major singles titles, more so than Venus, so he still has a legitimate goal to win an 18th major singles title to extend his record haul in men’s tennis. How will 30-year-old Rafael Nadal eventually exit the game? Will injuries force him to no longer play? This is how 34-year-old Ivan Lendl concluded his career with a 1994 conference call announcing that his back injuries were too much for him to continue to play.

Chris Evert, whose final pro match was representing the U.S. in Fed Cup in 1989 at age 34, said on ESPN during Monday’s opening day of play at Wimbledon that viewers should appreciate Venus while she is playing now and that we don’t know how much longer she is going to play. However, she and Patrick McEnroe also discussed that since she is ranked in the top 10, she might still be playing for a while. Whenever she decides to conclude her Hall of Fame career, she will no doubt exit on her terms.

 

Venus Williams
Venus Williams

 

New Chapter Media, Randy Walker Deliver Strong Publicity For PowerShares Series Tennis

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New Chapter Media and tennis industry veteran Randy Walker has provided a strong cavalcade of business and mainstream media placements on behalf of the recently-concluded 2015 PowerShares Series tennis circuit for champion tennis players featuring John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and others.

The 2015 PowerShares Series marked the first time in tennis history that no linespeople were used at events, with Hawk-Eye Challenges being used to settle disputed calls, with unlimited challenges. CNN.com spoke to Jim Courier and Mark Philippoussis about the ground-breaking event prior to its debut at the PowerShares Series event in Salt Lake City here: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/24/tennis/hawk-eye-tennis-powershares-mcenroe-courier/ and Reuters profiled it in advance of McEnroe’s 2015 PowerShares Series debut here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/31/us-tennis-mcenroe-linesmen-idUSKBN0MR2GV20150331

McEnroe and Andy Roddick discussed the initiative on Fox Business Channel on “After The Closing Bell” with Liz Claman and David Asman as seen here: http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2015/04/02/mcenroe-roddick-play-high-tech-tennis/ McEnroe also discussed the new line-calling format – and his long storied history of dealing with linespeople with Dan Patrick here http://www.danpatrick.com/2015/03/31/john-mcenroe-says-tennis-needs-to-shed-country-club-image/ and also with Rich Eisen here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfI0-HVEgEk He also appeared on the season premiere of the Jim Rome Show on Showtime, that can be seen here: http://www.sidereel.com/jim_rome_on_showtime

Also in advance of the PowerShares Series, Andy Roddick talked about his investment strategies with CNN Money here: http://money.cnn.com/2015/03/12/investing/andy-roddick-tennis-investing/

Courier, the co-founder of the PowerShares Series, was also featured in Investor’s Business Daily during the Series here: http://news.investors.com/management-leaders-and-success/042415-749492-tennis-champion-jim-courier-cofounded-powershares-series.htm?src=3MC749492

Pre and post-event in individual event markets can be seen here: Andre Agassi Salt Lake City Tribune Preview: http://www.sltrib.com/sports/2323063-155/tennis-former-great-andre-agassi-headlines

Andre Agassi Deseret News Preview: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865624874/Andre-Agassi-Jim-Courier-to-meet-at-Huntsman-Center-Tuesday-night.html?pg=all

Mark Philippoussis Wins Salt Lake City Event: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865624949/Philippoussis-beats-Agassi-in-fun-tennis-event-at-Huntsman-Center.html?pg=all

KSL Reviews PowerShares Series in Salt Lake City: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=294&sid=33972598

KSL Radio Interview with Andre Agassi in Salt Lake City: http://t.co/NtxvQMXTwq

Andy Roddick Wins Title In Los Angeles From TennisView Magazine: http://www.tennisviewmag.com/tennis-view-magazine/article/andy-roddick-wins-powershares-title-los-angeles

Andy Roddick Keeping Busy Outside of Tennis, from Lincoln Journal-Star: http://journalstar.com/sports/local/other-sports/roddick-keeping-busy-away-from-tennis/article_63e7bda7-a727-58b0-94c9-989ef00ad21e.html

No Joking! John McEnroe To Call His Own Lines, from Lincoln Journal Star: http://journalstar.com/sports/local/other-sports/no-jokin-mcenroe-will-call-his-own-lines-at-pba/article_8106595f-71dc-5194-95eb-0e186f9cf805.html

PowerShares Series Officials Impressed With Lincoln, from Lincoln Journal Star: http://journalstar.com/sports/local/other-sports/tennis-notebook-powershares-series-officials-impressed-with-lincoln/article_5e995149-8ccb-50e5-a950-c531668be471.html

Question and Answer with Andy Roddick, from Omaha World-Herald: http://www.omaha.com/sports/q-a-with-andy-roddick/article_9c040524-78ea-55f0-802a-637d6509968c.html

Andy Roddick Rolls on Nebraska Turf, from Lincoln Journal-Star: http://journalstar.com/sports/local/other-sports/champions-cup-roddick-rolls-on-nebraska-turf/article_ba8f7167-a97a-5827-9458-e8d9dc3a08c4.html

Big Names Hit Tennis Courts in Lincoln, Nebraska, from KNTV: http://www.klkntv.com/story/28696255/big-tennis-names-hit-the-court-in-lincoln

Andy Roddick Talks To “The Ticket” In Advance of Nebraska Appearance: http://www.theticketfm.com/morning-take/andy-roddick-2003-u-s-open-tennis-winner-and-former-world-1-ranked-tennis-playerhang-up-on-holstein/

John McEnroe and Andy Roddick Hit Austin, from Austin-American Statesman: http://www.statesman.com/news/sports/mcenroe-roddick-hit-town-for-exhibition-matches/nkt64/

McEnroe and Roddick Among Tennis Stars At Cedar Park, from KXAN: http://kxan.com/2015/04/16/roddick-and-mcenroe-among-tennis-star-in-cedar-park/

John McEnroe Preview on Arkansas Online: http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/apr/16/mcenroe-mens-tennis-falling-behind-us/?f=sports-prosports

Andy Roddick Wins Little Rock PowerShares Series, from Arkansas Online: http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/apr/18/nice-job-whippersnapper-20150418/?f=sports

Tennis Icons Coming To Little Rock, from KATV: http://www.katv.com/story/28616346/tennis-icons-coming-to-little-rock

John McEnroe Talks Tennis With 103.7 The Buzz in Little Rock, Arkansas http://www.1037thebuzz.com/media-gallery/detail.asp?GalleryID=8226

PowerShares Tennis Series leaves line calling to players, from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/other-sports/article18232955.html

Roddick thriving at next level of career, from the Fort Worth Star Telegram: http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/other-sports/article18727038.html

Roddick notches record sixth win in Dallas, from the Fort Worth Star Telegram: http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/article18906768.html

Moody Coliseum Holds Special Memories For John McEnroe, from The Dallas Morning News http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/more-sports/headlines/20150417-smu-s-moody-coliseum-holds-good-memories-for-john-mcenroe-who-s-back-in-town-with-powershares-series-champions-tennis-circuit.ece

John McEnroe To Call His Own Lines In Richmond, story from the Richmond Times-Dispatch here: http://www.richmond.com/sports/professional/tennis/article_c2d178df-3efe-549e-ae96-ecd3a5d4b8c3.html

NBC12 coverage of PowerShares Series in Richmond here: http://www.nbc12.com/clip/11423074/roddick-claims-powershares-series-title-in-richmond?clienttype=generic

Former tennis champs battle it out at Champions Challenge in Richmond, from the Richmond Times Dispatch: http://www.richmond.com/sports/professional/tennis/article_40226a5e-7f8b-5d9b-8277-8e9928af768a.html

John McEnroe Speaks with Mo Egger in Cincinnati on ESPN1530: Cincinnati here: http://www.espn1530.com/onair/mo-egger-9170/my-interview-with-john-mcenroe-13448764/

Tennis Legends Return To Town, from the Cincinnati Enquirer here: http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/tennis/2015/04/27/tennis-legends-return-to-town-thursday-night/26477557/

John McEnroe Talks to Justin Gaard at KFAN in Minneapolis here: http://www.kfan.com/media/podcast-the-cake-show-KFAN_JustinGaard/310-

In Advance of Vancouver Visit, Pete Sampras Says Milos Raonic Knocking On The Door of a Major: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Pete+Sampras+Milos+knocking+door+major/10794651/story.html

John McEnroe Still Raising A Racquet, from The Vancouver Sun: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/John+MacEnroe+still+raising+racket+without+anger/10944329/story.html

Is Electronic Line Calling The Future of Tennis, from TennisNow.com http://www.tennisnow.com/News/2015/April/Is-Electronic-Line-Calling-the-Future-of-Tennis-A.aspx

New Chapter Media is a full-service, boutique marketing agency with a specialty in sports. The company was founded in 1987 as a book publishing company – New Chapter Press – and morphed into a sales, marketing and publishing company in 2006, when former U.S. Tennis Association executive Randy Walker became Managing Partner of the firm. New Chapter Media offers marketing, publicity, sales and event services in addition to being a well-established publishing house.

Walker is a sports marketing, communications and media specialist – and the Managing Partner of New Chapter Media – based in New York City. Walker is most noted for his work in the tennis industry, highlighted by a 12-year stint in the Marketing and Communications division of the United States Tennis Association that featured work on 13 U.S. Open championships, 22 U.S. Davis Cup ties and three Olympic Games. Sportsillustrated.com went as far to label Walker “the Roger Federer of tennis publicity.”

Walker’s client work include spearheading national and international publicity as well as new business development support for Jim Courier and the PowerShares Series tennis circuit. Other recent clients include Harvard vs. Yale “Rivalry on Ice” at Madison Square Garden, Playsight, the Tennis Resort at ESPN Wide World of Sports, SAP, Casa de Campo resort in the Dominican Republic, the National Lacrosse League, the New York Titans National Lacrosse League franchise, Spira Footwear, Leverage Agency, City of Delray Beach, Fla., the International Fight League, BOX-NYC, Radilla Advertising among others. Walker has also contributed in sponsorship and advertising sales for the U.S. Davis Cup Team, the U.S. Fed Cup Team, Tennis Week magazine among others.

Walker’s publicity efforts with the New York Titans in 2007 were called by the National Lacrosse League as “the best week of national U.S. press coverage the league has ever had.” CNBC labeled his efforts on behalf of Spira Footwear at the Boston Marathon as “marketing genius.”

Since 2006, Walker has served as the managing partner the New Chapter Press, a boutique book publishing company, now publishing arm for New Chapter Media, founded in 1987. Since becoming partner with the firm, Walker has overseen the publishing, promotion and international distribution for book titles generating approximately $1 million in gross international sales. Walker’s most notable titles include “Roger Federer, Quest for Perfection,” the first U.S.-published biography of the Swiss tennis great, “The Bud Collins History of Tennis,” written by the Hall of Fame tennis journalist and TV personality, “The Education of a Tennis Player” by Rod Laver and “Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games” written by Tom and Jerry Caraccioli with a foreword by Vice President Walter Mondale. Walker authored and published the book “On This Day In Tennis History” in 2008 and “The Days of Roger Federer” in 2014.

Walker spent 12 years in the Marketing and Communications Division of the U.S. Tennis Association from 1993 to 2005, concluding his tenure at the USTA in the position of Sr. Publicity Manager for Professional Tennis. During his tenure at the USTA, Walker was an integral part of the USTA’s publicity and media operations team for the U.S. Open, coordinating post-event media tours for champions Patrick Rafter, Lindsay Davenport and Lleyton Hewitt, managing Heineken’s U.S. Open Player Party in from 1997 to 1999 and working with U.S. Open sponsors such as IBM, Continental, American Express, Evian, Lincoln, JP Morgan Chase and Olympus. He worked as the press officer for the U.S. Olympic Tennis Team at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, the 2000 Games in Sydney and the 2004 Games in Athens, managing gold medal media tours for gold medalists Andre Agassi, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams and Serena Williams. Walker was also the press officer for the U.S. Davis Cup team from 1997 to 2005 where he worked closely with Davis Cup sponsors NEC and BNP Paribas and U.S. team sponsor AIG. Walker was responsible for numerous media successes including hits on The Tonight Show, Late Show with David Letterman, Today, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, ESPN, CNN, USA Today, New York Times, Vanity Fair, New York Times Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Vogue, among others.

Prior to working at the USTA, Walker worked at the Connecticut Radio Network for its nationally syndicated “Ski Watch” program and as a sports reporter for The Daily News, a New York Times company daily newspaper in suburban Atlanta. Walker graduated from the Univ. of Georgia in 1991 with a degree in Communications and a minor in History and English. He was a walk-on member of the Georgia men’s tennis team that won the SEC Championship in 1988 and 1989 and were NCAA Finalists in 1989. He is the great, great, great nephew of James K. Polk, the 11th President of the United States.

John McEnroe and Andy Roddick with Liz Claman on Fox Business
John McEnroe and Andy Roddick with Liz Claman on Fox Business

Philippoussis Wins 2015 PowerShares Series Finale In Vancouver

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Mark Philippoussis beat Pete Sampras 7-6 (4) in the one-set championship match Saturday night to win the Champions Showdown, the 12th and final stop on the 2015 PowerShares Series tennis circuit at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre at the University of British Columbia.

The title is the second of the year for the Australian on the North American circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30 – book-ending his championship in the opening event of the 2015 PowerShares Series in Salt Lake City, where he defeated Andre Agassi in the final. It also marked the fourth career title for Philippoussis on the PowerShares Series. Prior to 2015, the last time Philippoussis won on the Series was when he beat Jim Courier in the final of Surprise, Arizona in 2010.

In the semifinals of the four-player event earlier in the night, Philippoussis beat Michael Chang 6-4 and Sampras beat John McEnroe 6-4.

The win for Philippoussis earned him third place alone in the PowerShares Series points rankings for the season with 1100 points. Andy Roddick, with eight tournament titles in 10 event appearances, finished as the No. 1 player with 1600 points – taking a player’s best four tournament results during the season with each tournament winner earning 400 points. James Blake, with his tournament titles in Boston and Cincinnati and runner-up finishes in Lincoln, Nebraska and Richmond,  earned the No. 2 ranking with 1200 points. McEnroe, the 2014 points champion, finished in fourth with 800 points followed by Jim Courier with 500 points, Chang with 300 points and Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Todd Martin with 200 points.

For more information on the PowerShares Series, go to www.PowerSharesSeries.com

 

ABOUT INSIDEOUT SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT

InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a Los Angeles-based producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Champions Series, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, The World Series of Volleyball and numerous corporate outings. Since inception, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment has have raised over $4 million for charity. In 2014, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment merged with Horizon Media, the largest privately held media services agency in the world.  For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.powersharesseries.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

ABOUT HORIZON MEDIA

Horizon Media, Inc. is the largest and fastest growing privately held media services agency in the world. The company was founded in 1989, is headquartered in New York, and has offices in Los Angeles, San Diego and Chicago. Horizon Media was named 2011 Independent Media Agency of the Year by Mediapost, 2010 U.S. Media Agency of the Year by Adweek, Brandweek, Mediaweek and Ad Age and as one of the world’s ten most innovative marketing and advertising companies by Fast Company in 2011. In 2012, Bill Koenigsberg, President, CEO and Founder, was honored by Advertising Age as Industry Executive of the Year and he currently serves as Chairman of the 4A’s, the industry’s oldest and most prestigious trade association. The company’s mission is “To create the most meaningful brand connections within the lives of people everywhere.”  Horizon Media has estimated billings of $4.7 billion and approximately 1,000 employees. For more info, go towww.HorizonMedia.com

ABOUT INVESCO POWERSHARES

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC is Leading the Intelligent ETF RevolutionR through its family of more than 140 domestic and international exchange-traded funds, providing advisors and investors access to an innovative array of focused investment opportunities. With franchise assets over $66.7 billion as of June 29, 2012, PowerShares ETFs trade on both U.S. stock exchanges. For more information, please visit us at invescopowershares.com or follow us on Twitter @PowerShares.

ABOUT POWERSHARES QQQ

PowerShares QQQT, an exchange-traded fund (ETF) based on the NASDAQ-100 IndexR, is one of the largest and most traded ETFs in the world. Under most circumstances, QQQ will consist of all of the stocks in the index which includes 100 of the largest domestic and international nonfinancial companies listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market based on market capitalization.

 

Mark Philippoussis
Mark Philippoussis

Roddick Ties Sampras Mark In Winning PowerShares Series Title In Little Rock

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Andy Roddick won his fifth title on the 2015 PowerShares Series title Friday defeating John McEnroe 6-3 in the one-set final of the Champions Cup at the Jack Stephens Center at the University of Arkansas – Little Rock.

With Roddick’s fifth tournament win on the 2015 PowerShares Series, he equals the Pete Sampras mark for most PowerShares Series titles won in a year with five. So far this year, Roddick has won titles in Los Angeles, Lincoln, Neb., Chicago, Austin, Texas and Little Rock – posting a perfect 10-0 match record. In 2011, Sampras won five PowerShares Series titles, winning Fort Lauderdale, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Seattle and Surprise, Ariz.

“I’ve been playing more tennis the last year. I’ve been enjoying it a lot,” said the 32-year-old Roddick of his recent form. “I play a couple of times a week now. Winning is fun, but I really, really just enjoy playing tennis.”

Roddick retired from the ATP World Tour at the 2012 U.S. Open and joined the PowerShares Series circuit in 2014, playing three events and winning two in Birmingham, Alabama and Denver, Colorado.

To reach the final Friday night, Roddick defeated Jim Courier 6-2, while McEnroe defeated Mark Philippoussis 6-3 in the four-player event.

McEnroe, 56, reached the final for the second time on the 2015 PowerShares Series, also losing to Roddick in the final in Chicago on April 2. Said Roddick of McEnroe post-match on Friday, “I promise you one thing that you will never see a 56-year-old ever play at the level of John McEnroe.”

Roddick remains in the lead in the PowerShares Series points rankings – taking a player’s best four tournament results during the season – with 1600 points, followed by Philippoussis with 700 points. McEnroe is in third place with 600 points, followed by Courier and James Blake with 500 points and Andre Agassi with 200 points.

The PowerShares Series, the 12-city tennis circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30, continues Saturday April 18 in Dallas at the Moody Coliseum at Southern Methodist University. Roddick will go for a record sixth straight title and will be joined by McEnroe, Courier and Philippoussis. For full schedule, player and ticket information, go to www.PowerSharesSeries.com

The remaining PowerShares Series schedule with full fields are as follows:

Saturday, April 18: Dallas, Texas (Moody Coliseum at SMU) “Champions Showdown”
John McEnroe vs. Jim Courier, Andy Roddick vs. Mark Philippoussis

Wednesday, April 22: Boston, Mass. (Agganis Arena at Boston University) “Champions Cup”
John McEnroe vs. Jim Courier, Andy Roddick vs. James Blake

Thursday, April 23: Richmond, Va., (Siegel Center at VCU) “Champions Challenge”
Jim Courier vs. Andy Roddick, John McEnroe vs. James Blake

Wednesday, April 29: Minneapolis, Minn. (Target Center) “Champions Shootout”
John McEnroe vs. James Blake, Andy Roddick vs. Michael Chang

Thursday, April 30: Cincinnati, Ohio (Cintas Center at Xavier) “Champions Showdown”
Andy Roddick vs. James Blake, John McEnroe vs. Michael Chang

Saturday, May 2: Vancouver, Canada (Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre at UBC) “Champions Showdown”
Michael Chang vs. Mark Philippoussis, Pete Sampras vs. John McEnroe

In 2014, John McEnroe won the points title for the first time in the nine-year history of Champions Series tennis by winning events in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Nashville and Charlotte. McEnroe was followed in the points standings by Blake in second place and Roddick in third place.

ABOUT INSIDEOUT SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT
InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a Los Angeles-based producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Champions Series, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, The World Series of Volleyball and numerous corporate outings. Since inception, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment has have raised over $4 million for charity. In 2014, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment merged with Horizon Media, the largest privately held media services agency in the world. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.powersharesseries.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

ABOUT HORIZON MEDIA
Horizon Media, Inc. is the largest and fastest growing privately held media services agency in the world. The company was founded in 1989, is headquartered in New York, and has offices in Los Angeles, San Diego and Chicago. Horizon Media was named 2011 Independent Media Agency of the Year by Mediapost, 2010 U.S. Media Agency of the Year by Adweek, Brandweek, Mediaweek and Ad Age and as one of the world’s ten most innovative marketing and advertising companies by Fast Company in 2011. In 2012, Bill Koenigsberg, President, CEO and Founder, was honored by Advertising Age as Industry Executive of the Year and he currently serves as Chairman of the 4A’s, the industry’s oldest and most prestigious trade association. The company’s mission is “To create the most meaningful brand connections within the lives of people everywhere.” Horizon Media has estimated billings of $4 .7 billion and approximately 1,000 employees. For more info, go towww.HorizonMedia.com

ABOUT INVESCO POWERSHARES
Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC is Leading the Intelligent ETF Revolution® through its family of more than 140 domestic and international exchange-traded funds, providing advisors and investors access to an innovative array of focused investment opportunities. With franchise assets over $66.7 billion as of June 29, 2012, PowerShares ETFs trade on both U.S. stock exchanges. For more information, please visit us at invescopowershares.com or follow us on Twitter @PowerShares.

ABOUT POWERSHARES QQQ
PowerShares QQQ™, an exchange-traded fund (ETF) based on the NASDAQ-100 Index®, is one of the largest and most traded ETFs in the world. Under most circumstances, QQQ will consist of all of the stocks in the index which includes 100 of the largest domestic and international nonfinancial companies listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market based on market capitalization.

Andy Roddick
Andy Roddick

Pete Sampras Talks About 33-Year-Old Roger Federer In Advance of ’15 PowerShares Series Season

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

 

In advance of playing on the 2015 PowerShares Series champions tennis circuit where he will debut in Los Angeles at the Galen Center at USC on March 25, Pete Sampras has been doing the rounds promoting his upcoming appearances. Inevitably, Sampras is asked by media about Roger Federer, the man who replaced him as the all-time men’s leader in Grand Slam singles titles won.

“I think he was the most complete player we’ve seen,” Sampras said recently of Federer to CBC Radio in Vancouver, Canada where he will play May 2. “He’s won on all surfaces. He’s tough. He moves well. He’s got a big game. He’s got a huge forehand. He just has the whole package. I think he dominated the game a lot more than I ever did. You look at the numbers of what he’s been able to do, you have to say he’s the greatest we’ve seen. The statistics of doing all-around court play, he can do a lot of different things. He can come in, can stay back, and he can do everything. He would be a tough match-up to beat. He’s a great competitive. He’s been ambassador to the sport. He’s done it the right way.”

The recent talk with Federer has been more on if he will win another major title, not on when. Now at age 33, his last major singles title – his 17th – was at the 2013 Australian Open when he was 31, the age that Sampras was when he won his 14th and final major at the 2002 US Open. Sampras never hit another ball in his career after beating Andre Agassi that year, struggling to keep up his lofty form that earned him rightful talk at the time as the greatest player of all time. Federer has also not held on to his top form where he routinely won two or three major titles a year – which is inevitable with age and something that Sampras can relate to being the top gun in men’s tennis whose main rivals also included Father Time.

“As you get older it gets tougher” Sampras said. “You’re seeing that now. Roger is 33. He’s been out there a number of years and you can have a bad day a little more often and that’s what happened against (Andreas) Seppi (at the Australian Open.) It gets tougher. I know. I experienced it. It’s just traveling and jet lag and it will wear you down. I just think you’re seeing that happening with Roger.”

“Most guys in early 30s, they’re retired,” Sampras continued. “I retired at 31. Connors was really the only guy that really played passed his 30s. McEnroe and myself, we all retired about 30, 31. He still wants to do it. Still wants to play and he loves it and he deserves the right to do whatever he wants.”

Was it hard for Sampras to retire? It took him almost a full year to come to the conclusion that he did not want to play again after his 2002 US Open win. He withdrew from tournament after tournament at the end of 2002 and into 2003 and it wasn’t until he withdrew from Wimbledon, his beloved tournament where he won seven titles, when observers knew he really was going to hang it up for good. He officially announced his retirement on the opening night of the 2003 US Open.

“It was emotional in a lot of ways,” Sampras said to the CBC of his choice to end his career. “It’s tough letting something go that you’ve been doing since you were seven years old. At the same time I knew I was done. I knew I was emotionally cooked. That I had nothing left in the tank. I won my last major. I nothing else to prove to myself and in that aspect it was easy to retire but something I’ve been doing for a lot of years and it’s not easy to say good-bye. It was a tricky time but at the end of the day I’m glad I did what I did and it was time to move on.”

Sampras first started playing professionally when he was just 17 years old and won his first ever ATP singles match against Ramesh Krishnan of India at Indian Wells in 1988.  Despite being 12 years into retirement, he does still love the game and still competing in special events, such as the PowerShares Series champions tour.

“I just enjoy hitting the ball, just the feel of the ball and the racket,” he said. “It’s good exercise. It’s frustrating at times because I’m not as good. I’m not as sharp, but I still enjoy just hitting, and it’s still fun for me. It’s a luxury now, but then when I get tired the luxury now is that when I get tired or sore or I want to stop I can stop. Whereas 20 or 15 years ago I could keep on going. I had to keep on going. It’s still a fun sport to play. It does get tougher as you get older but I still enjoy it.”

In 2015, Sampras will play two PowerShares Series events – on March 25 at the Galen Center on the campus of USC in Los Angeles and again on May 2 in Vancouver. Sampras said he enjoys the renewed camaraderie with the rivals of his generation – Jim Courier, John McEnroe, Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick – and likes the one-night format of the PowerShares Series events.

“It’s a great night of tennis,” he said. “You’ll see four great players in the span of a couple of hours. I hope the people come out and support it. It’s a fun night. It’s serious, but at the same time, it’s not too serious. We like to have a little fun out there.”

For more information on players, tournament and tickets on the PowerShares Series, go to www.PowerSharesSeries.com

To read daily anecdotes and match summaries and anniversaries of Roger Federer’s career, get the book “The Days of Roger Federer” book here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1937559378/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_NzBbvb03CC8KZ or to read of the famous Federer – Sampras match at Wimbledon in 2001 and the life and career of Federer, get the book “Roger Federer: Quest for Perfection” by Rene Stauffer here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0942257723/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_cBBbvb130HRA5

Pete Sampras and Roger Federer
Pete Sampras and Roger Federer