U.S. OPEN

August 31, 1994

Pete Sampras

PETE SAMPRAS: That's kind of nitpicking, I think, but the ankle, which I'm sure you guys are going to ask about, is just feeling fine. It's obviously been a long layoff for me and disappointing not playing the summer, but to get matches under my belt would have been good coming here, but I have to make the best of it.

PETE SAMPRAS: Well, the U.S. Open is one of the two biggest tournaments in the world, and I feel if I played a couple of those events it would have aggravated my ankle and maybe put me out of the U.S. Open. So I didn't really want to put this tournament in jeopardy.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, I could have played.

PETE SAMPRAS: Sure. I'm not really feeling anything at the moment.

PETE SAMPRAS: Well, I basically haven't practiced too much since the Davis Cup, four weeks. I was just on and off the court and I really needed to start practicing and get into a good rhythm and I was practicing really hard, two, three hours a day in the past four days and it's just -- it's always different playing a match and a tournament, it is a bit more nerves and I think I handled that pretty well today.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, for my first round it's somewhat -- that's not really going to put me in big danger. He doesn't have a huge serve and stays back. I can really get my groundies in and get my rhythm, that's what I did today.

PETE SAMPRAS: I think you can't take anything for granted, but today I did get a bit careless and started hitting some low percentage shots and I paid the price, lost my serve a couple times, but I got through it.

PETE SAMPRAS: I don't think Graf is pressed throughout her matches-- anything can happen. Look at the upsets in the last couple days and I think if -- Andre has been a rival the last couple years. We're so different with our games and personalities, it will be good, too, for Andre to get back in the top five. And Jim and Michael are my rivals, same positions. So I think we need to play more and it will be better for tennis to have more rivals.

PETE SAMPRAS: I think hopefully I will play Friday, but I certainly hope so.

PETE SAMPRAS: I'll have to play tomorrow.

PETE SAMPRAS: I certainly hope not. I was only on court for an hour and 20 minutes, so, whatever... And I hope it won't be a problem. There's a chance it might be sore, but I'll do everything I can for it not to be sore, ice it down.

PETE SAMPRAS: No, I was pretty much happy with every aspect of my game. I lost a bit of rhythm on my serve the middle of the second and third, but that's kind of nitpicking a little bit. I thought I played pretty well.

PETE SAMPRAS: You can practice all you want, you can play all the practice sets you want, it's different when you play a match. There's a bit more nerves and always insecure that -- you know, you just don't have that match practice that a lot of guys have and that's a scary feeling, but I just have to really believe in myself and understand if I play my tennis there's a good chance I can come through and win it.

PETE SAMPRAS: Both. Mentally, I'm very fresh. I didn't play matches all summer. And physically, I feel pretty good. I've been doing the bike a lot the last four weeks to keep up my cardiovascular and things are looking good.

PETE SAMPRAS: A little bit. I felt a little vulnerable coming in here, and it's like riding a bike. You're not going to learn -- you always remember how to play and that's one thing I believe, not worrying about playing a match in six weeks and putting it aside and understand I practiced real hard in the past three or four days, and if I play my tennis, I think I'm tough to beat. And you can't go out there with a negative attitude that you haven't played a match. It's an excuse. You have to make the best of it.

PETE SAMPRAS: No.

PETE SAMPRAS: The major titles. That's one thing that I'm striving for is to win the majors. That really keeps my motivation going and I -- I enjoy playing, I enjoy winning, and I told myself if I ever get to be number one to enjoy it, not worry about what's being written or said about me and just enjoy it because there's just too many cases in the past, guys get to number one and they just, you know, sometimes can't handle it. And I feel like, if I enjoy it, then I'll stay up there as long as I can.

PETE SAMPRAS: That's something I don't really think about. I don't think about it. I just want to do as well as I can in the majors and win a lot of titles.

PETE SAMPRAS: Not right now. I mean, I feel like I can -- I beat one of the best grass-court players, Goran, who I've had problems with. And I can stay back with the Agassis and Couriers and serve and volley and keep it as simple as possible.

PETE SAMPRAS: That there are too many guys that have done it, 11 guys in the past that have been number one, and I just didn't want to over-think about it. I didn't want to really worry about my ranking, just do as well as I can in the majors and the ranking will take care of itself.

PETE SAMPRAS: No, I just try not to think about it.

PETE SAMPRAS: No.

PETE SAMPRAS: The court is a little bit slower and the balls, I feel, are the same as last year, and compared to the outside courts, it is a bit slower. It's the same for both players.

PETE SAMPRAS: I haven't to spoken to Jim about it. I know Jim works hard on and off the court. I think he needed to step back and his tennis is fine. The way he played in Davis Cup was pretty awesome and he needed to take a break, put the racket down and get the motivation back and obviously he's done that.

PETE SAMPRAS: I can't understand.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, it's better this year than last year. I'm actually eating it this year.

PETE SAMPRAS: I don't know.

PETE SAMPRAS: I haven't decided yet.

PETE SAMPRAS: After this tournament.

PETE SAMPRAS: I really haven't given a lot of thought to Steffi in this room. That seems to be the question, comparing me to Steffi, what she's doing and that's something I really don't think about it.

PETE SAMPRAS: The last guy I really believe who dominated was Lendl, and I feel if I stay healthy and keep that motivation, keep on working hard, that's something that's possible.

PETE SAMPRAS: I have no idea. He's 34, 33. Who knows how I'm going to feel when I'm his age and if I'll have that motivation to play, but he's always someone who hasn't quit and loves the game and loves the Open and he's trying to win his major and obviously go out and end his career on a positive note.

PETE SAMPRAS: It's never easy to defend. I mean, as far as Boris losing, it just shows how good the players are. Richey Reneberg ranked 15 in the world to come through and win that. You can't take anything for granted. I just have to go out there and play my tennis and that's really it.

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