Davis Cup Journal: Day 4
A Triumph for Sampras, Agassi, and the US Team
by John Yandell
The more you see Pete Sampras off the court, the more
you have to admire him. Yes, he redeemed himself by winning the fifth
match to give the US a come from behind win over the underdog Czech
Republic. Yes, his level of performance and emotional energy were much
higher than in his loss to Juri Novak in his first match. But that
doesn’t really tell the story. Who knows why Pete is suffering a stream
of injuries in the last year, but at 1-1 in the first set today he went
running wide for a forehand, and after hitting a winner to break serve, he
pulled up hobbling. I mean it looked bad. He actually limped through the
first set and still won, mainly because of his phenomenal serving.
“It’s
the kind of serve I dream about having,” John McEnroe said in the press
conference, and you could tell he was sincere. “It’s the best serve in
the history of tennis. A few
guys hit it harder. But he can mix the power with placement and spin. And
he’s got every shot in the game to back it up.”
Who wouldn’t want that serve? Not to mention the
rest of his game. Here’s this guy who has absolutely dominated for 10
years with these great classic strokes. I still haven’t figured out why
you see all the extreme grips and loopy topspin in high level junior
tennis, but that’s the way it is. Pete’s Czech opponent Slava Dosedel
managed only 5 points on Pete’s first serve the whole day. He had 3
break points and never converted.
“I
was so down in the dumps after Friday,” Pete explained. “I just
wanted to redeem myself and play with energy and intensity. It was a
great day.”
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“I got into a great rhythm on my serve,” Pete
explained. “My arm felt nice and loose. I felt I could hit my second
serve as big as my first, and if I double faulted come right back (That
only happened twice). ”
And how bad was the injury? After the press
conference I saw Pete coming down the hall in the Forum. I was shocked. He
was literally dragging his left leg behind him. It was taped up with a
giant ice bag and he could hardly walk, but he was grinning ear to ear. No matter what people think or write in the paper, Davis Cup means
something to Pete Sampras. After seeing him almost unable to walk after
the match, I really saw how much that match had meant to him and how much
he had sacrificed to win it.
A reporter asked him if he had considered quitting
after getting hurt. “John would have choked me,” Pete replied,
laughing. Now he’s got the reporters all laughing too. “John’s words
were a huge inspiration: suck it up so we can get out of here in about 45
minutes.” That one made everyone in the pressroom break up, including
McEnroe. I find it interesting how a little success can smooth over the
antagonism between the team and the press.
“I was
so down in the dumps after Friday,” Pete explained. “I just wanted to
redeem myself and play with energy and intensity. It was a great day.”
Turned out his mom and dad had been there to watch
the first match. And they were there today to see Pete turn it around. He
gave his dad a big hug afterwards. This guy is truly the All-American role
model. He should be a god in the press—if the press really respected and
lauded the values it says it does. The reality is he’s not controversial
enough to get the big attention.
Here’s Pete on his parents: “They raised me the
right way. I want them to be a part of my tennis. And they haven’t been.
My goal is to bring them to Wimbledon. Today was a great moment for my
dad. I’m sure my dad is going to Spain.”
You can tell he and John like and respect each other.
They both seem a little shy with each other. They both try compliment the
other and say some pretty witty things. At the same time, you note them
glancing back and forth to make sure the other one is taking it the right
way.
Here’s John on Pete: “He did what he needed to do
and what he wanted to do. In the warm-up he had some thump on his ball.
His ball just sounded like a big, big ball. I think that intimidated
Dosedel.”
And what did he think when Pete hurt his quad: “My
heart temporarily stopped.” Mac is smiling and the press is laughing.
Here’s Pete on John: “It was all the coaching.”
and he flashes that sardonic smile. And about the injury? “I just wanted
John to sweat a little bit. When I told him I hurt my leg”—and again
he’s got that smile that shows he’s teasing John—“I just looked at
John and saw he wanted no part of it.” Everyone is laughing and it’s
like a wave of good feeling going over the room. Then Pete turns more
serious: “John knows what it’s like to feel nervous. And I was
nervous. He told me, move your feet, you move slower when you’re
nervous. He just provided a focus and an intensity. It was a tremendous
help.”
Then Pete says something else interesting about
himself and the strength of his
mental game: “When you start, the nerves just go away and you play.
He’s a good player (meaning Dosedel). But bottom line, my ability is
better than his. Today I just needed to remember who I am and play my
tennis.”
Maybe it’s the beginning of a beautiful partnership
between the two of them and Andre. And
while we’re handing out compliments, let’s not forget Andre, because
he saved both their butts. Pete closed out the day, but Andre started by
dismantling Juri Novak, the guy who made Pete look bad. Tennis is a funny
sport. The chronic underachiever, Andre Agassi, criticized on USA Network
for tanking at the French a couple of years ago by none other than Johnny
Mac, then comes back to win that event and is now the work ethic role
model holding the team together.
I just knew there would be some great emotion in this
Davis Cup tie in LA, and today proved that thought correct. Pete, Andre
and John all took a victory lap with the flag for a cape—and cynic and
anti-patriot though I may be, I really felt happy for them. Nobody in the
press tried to bait John. They wanted to be on the band wagon and laugh
with the players. The LA Times columnist who slammed the USTA and the
event after the first day’s singles didn’t mention anything about that
after Sunday. Instead she devoted her entire space to Pete Sampras, the
good son. So it’s on to Spain in July--Barcelona, to be precise. All the
conflicts swept under the rug by the win, for now--the team spirit seems a
little stronger, with some challenges and adventures ahead—like playing
the Spaniards on a nice, slow red clay court.
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