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How Federer Found His Clay-Court Footing In Hamburg

  • Posted: Jul 13, 2020

How Federer Found His Clay-Court Footing In Hamburg

Swiss is four-time champion at this event

The Hamburg European Open will always hold a special place in Roger Federer’s career as the site of his first ATP Masters 1000 title in 2002.

Prior to arriving that year, Federer had little reason to be confident about his clay-court game. He endured convincing early-round defeats in Monte Carlo and Rome, and stared down a draw in Hamburg that featured nine of the Top 10 players in the FedEx ATP Rankings. The No. 11 seed also received one of the most challenging first-rounds opponents he could have faced  in former Top 10 player Nicolas Lapentti.

Federer Hamburg 2002

But the 20-year-old found his form from the first ball in Hamburg. He powered into the quarter-finals without dropping a set before taking out second seed Gustavo Kuerten in a three-set affair, which included blitzing the Brazilian 6-0 in the opening set. Another quick victory soon followed against Max Mirnyi before Federer dominated sixth seed Marat Safin 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 in the championship match.

“I find it incredible what has happened,” Federer said afterwards. “I lost my first 11 [tour-level] matches on clay, played badly here before, and in Monte Carlo and in Rome, and felt negative coming into the tournament. I never thought that I would take a title on this surface.”

Federer reduced Safin to a spectator in the first half of the match, launching winners from all parts of the court as he stormed to a 6-1, 5-1 lead. Although the Swiss still performed at a high level in the latter stages of the match, he admitted that his dip in form was due in part to seeing the finish line too quickly.

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“At 6-1, 5-1, you think ‘How am I going to celebrate?’ and ‘What am I going to say?’” Federer said. “These things come into your mind. You just can’t help it.”

His title defence the following year resulted in a third-round defeat to Mark Philippoussis, but Federer rebounded by scoring a hat-trick of victories in Hamburg. He prevailed in 2004 (d. Coria) and defended his crown by powering through the field in 2005 without dropping a set (d. Gasquet). Federer missed the 2006 edition of this event, but returned to score one of the most significant victories of his career.

Following wins against Juan Carlos Ferrero, David Ferrer and Carlos Moya, Federer rallied from a set down in the 2007 final to stun Rafael Nadal 2-6, 6-2, 6-0. The match ended Nadal’s 81-match winning streak on clay dating back to April 2005 and also marked Federer’s first victory over the Spaniard on this surface. He lifted his head to the sky and yelled in delight after a Nadal forehand found the net on match point.

<a href=Roger Federer owns a tournament record four titles at the Hamburg European Open.” />

“It’s an absolute breakthrough,” Federer said. “It’s just nice to be playing well again. It’s not that I was playing so badly, but it’s my first clay-court title in a couple of years, so that’s great.”

Nadal would get revenge by defeating Federer in the 2008 final, but by that point the Swiss had established himself as the only player in tournament history to win four singles titles. It’s a record that has yet to be matched more than a decade later.

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Anderson's Comeback Goals: Grand Slam & Masters 1000 Titles

  • Posted: Jul 13, 2020

Anderson’s Comeback Goals: Grand Slam & Masters 1000 Titles

South African speaks to ATP Tennis Radio

Kevin Anderson already has a pair of Grand Slam finals (2017 US Open, 2018 Wimbledon) and a career-high FedEx ATP Ranking of No. 5 to his name. When action resumes on the ATP Tour, the South African is determined to push well beyond those career highlights.

“In 2021, If I’m a Grand Slam champion with some ATP Masters 1000 titles, that would be a very successful year-and-a-half,” Anderson told ATP Tennis Radio. “That’s what I’m aiming for along with my team. I’m really looking forward to pushing myself and giving myself that opportunity.”

The 34-year-old knows doing so will require being at full health. Anderson has endured a challenging 18 months between injuries and the current suspension of play due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Issues with his right knee limited him to six tournaments since February 2019 and required a pair of surgeries last September and this February. But the always-determined Anderson found a silver lining and used the extra time at home to strengthen his body.

“At this point in my career, it’s the most important thing for me. Everything revolves around that,” Anderson said.  “We probably err on the side of caution right now, whereas with tournaments, you might push through a little bit. I extended my recovery period by four or five weeks before getting back on court. I’ve been training and have a friend who has a court at his house, which has been a nice setup.

“It’s been quite some time since I was in that regular routine of competing and playing in tournaments. I’m trying to take care of my body as much as I can. Hopefully I can take this six months that I haven’t been playing and add that to the end of my career.”

Anderson has had plenty to keep him busy while at home in Florida. He and his wife, Kelsey, welcomed their first child last September, a baby girl named Keira. He also serves as Vice President on the ATP Player Council and has remained an active presence.

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But Anderson has also worked on continuing to embrace the concept that sometimes less is more. He’s long been known as one of the hardest-working players on Tour, which prompted one of his coaches, Jay Bosworth, to encourage the South African to trust his training and adopt a more relaxed approach mentally. Although shifting his mindset wasn’t easy at first, Anderson believes it will serve him well in the long run.

“Some of my biggest strengths that helped me get to where I was [in 2018] needed to change a little bit. I’ve always had a good work ethic and always wanted to keep improving… But I also needed to trust my abilities and the work I had put in,” Anderson said. “That was a very difficult change for me at first. Stepping out of your comfort zone and seeing what needs to be done can be challenging, but it’s something I’ve embraced and I can see how it helps you become a tennis player.”

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Feeling Lucky? Win A Signed 'Big Four' Racquet Collection!

  • Posted: Jul 13, 2020

Feeling Lucky? Win A Signed ‘Big Four’ Racquet Collection!

Funds raised will support members of the ATP Coach Programme in most need due to the COVID-19 pandemic

For more than a decade, the ‘Big Four’ of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have used their skill, fitness and determination to create ATP Tour history.

In the latest prize draw in support of the ATP Coach Programme, all you will need is a slice of luck to take home a dream prize. The historic group, which owns a combined 313 tour-level singles trophies, each donated a signed racquet to create a framed collection of four racquets for one lucky entrant to win. 

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ATP Coach Programme

Funds raised from the ‘Big Four’ prize draw will be allocated by the ATP Coaches Committee to support the members of the ATP Coach Programme, whose ability to work has been impacted by the ongoing pandemic. In addition, a part of proceeds will be donated to a global COVID-19 relief fund.

The prize draw follows an initial three-week bidding window, which ended on 29 June, for a range of private coaching experiences with legendary ATP Tour coaches. A two-hour session with Ivan Lendl at the 2021 US Open, complete with an exclusive VIP experience package, raised US$19,000 for the programme.

Other items up for grabs this round include packages headlined by a hit with Andy Murray at Wimbledon, a session with Stan Wawrinka and his team at an event to be determined and much more.

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Båstad: An Award-Winning Event Defined By Swedish Success

  • Posted: Jul 13, 2020

Båstad: An Award-Winning Event Defined By Swedish Success

Learn more about the Normea Open, an ATP 250 event

Held the week after Wimbledon, the Normea Open is one of two Swedish events on the ATP Tour alongside the Stockholm Open.

The ATP 250 tournament would have been held this week if not for the Tour suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to know about the ATP 250 tournament.

A Player Favourite
ATP Tour players voted the Normea Open as ATP 250 Tournament of the Year for 11 straight years between 2002 and 2012. Based in Båstad, one of Sweden’s most popular summer tourism destinations, the event has been held each year since 1948 and has consistently improved its venue. Held at Båstad Tennisstadion, the tournament is located just minutes away from the local harbour and beach.

Goffin

Swedish History
Since the beginning of the Open Era in 1968, the tournament has consistently crowned Swedish champions in both singles and doubles. Sixteen editions of the singles tournament have been won by Swedish players and 27 editions of the doubles event have featured a Swedish winner.

Magnus Gustafsson owns an Open Era record four singles trophies in Båstad, followed closely by three-time champions Bjorn Borg and Mats Wilander. Magnus Norman and Robin Soderling own two titles at the event, while Henrik Sundstrom and Joakim Nystrom both earned single tournament victories.

Between 1982 and 2014, only seven editions of the doubles tournament did not feature a Swedish champion. During that time, Jonas Bjorkman captured an Open Era record seven doubles trophies at the event.

Bjorg Wilander Edberg

Nadal Begins Rivalry In Memorable Fashion
After quarter-final runs in 2003 and 2004, Rafael Nadal returned to Båstad in 2005 as the World No. 3 and newly crowned Roland Garros champion. The 19-year-old cruised through to his eighth final of the season without dropping a set, following wins against Juan Monaco, Alberto Martin, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Tommy Robredo.

In the championship match, Nadal recovered from a set down to defeat Tomas Berdych in their first ATP Head2Head encounter. The Spaniard won 20 of 24 meetings against Berdych, including their only other final clash at Wimbledon in 2010.

Download ATP Tour App

Cuevas’ Maiden Moment
Pablo Cuevas owns six ATP Tour trophies on clay and reached a career-high No. 19 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in 2016. But when the Uruguayan arrived in Båstad in 2014, he was attempting to reach his first ATP Tour championship match.

Ranked No. 111, Cuevas dropped just one set en route to a final clash against Joao Sousa. The 28-year-old dropped just three games against the World No. 40 to take the trophy after 59 minutes. Following the event, Cuevas jumped 50 positions to re-enter the Top 100 in the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time in almost three years. The six-time ATP Tour titlist is the lowest-ranked Båstad champion in the Open Era.

Ferrer’s Record Run
Alongside Borg and Wilander, David Ferrer is one of three players to have lifted the Båstad trophy on three occasions in the Open Era. The Spaniard beat Nicolas Almagro in both the 2007 and 2012 championship matches, before a record-breaking run in 2017.

The World No. 46 overcame Federico Delbonis, Dustin Brown, Henri Laaksonen, Fernando Verdasco and Alexandr Dolgopolov to capture his 27th and final ATP Tour title. Aged 35, Ferrer became the oldest Båstad champion in the Open Era.

<a href=David Ferrer owns three Normea Open titles.” />

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Newport: Where Past And Present Stars Share The Spotlight

  • Posted: Jul 13, 2020

Newport: Where Past And Present Stars Share The Spotlight

Learn more about the Hall of Fame Open, an ATP 250 event

Held the week after Wimbledon, the Hall of Fame Open is the final grass-court event on the ATP Tour calendar.

The ATP 250 tournament would have been held this week if not for the Tour suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to know about the ATP 250 tournament.

A Unique Event
Held on the legendary grass courts of The International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum, the Hall of Fame Open is the only tour-level grass-court event in North America. The first U.S. National Lawn Tennis Championship, which evolved into the US Open, was hosted at the site in 1881.

The ATP 250 event, which takes place the week after Wimbledon, has been won by many former Top 10 players. Brian Teacher (1979), Johan Kriek (1981), Bill Scanlon (1986), Greg Rusedski (1993, ’04-’05), Mark Philippoussis (2006), Mardy Fish (2010), John Isner (2011, ’12, ’17, ’19) and Lleyton Hewitt (2014) have all captured the Newport trophy.

Download ATP Tour App

The International Tennis Hall Of Fame
Each year, during the Hall of Fame Open, the International Tennis Hall of Fame hosts its annual ceremony to induct past legends of the sport. In the Class of 2019, former World No. 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov joined the exclusive club alongside WTA legends Li Na and Mary Pierce.

“It’s one of those things where I understand that finally my whole career is completed,” Kafelnikov said. “This was the last sort of pinnacle that every professional athlete wants to accomplish. To be recognised as a Hall of Famer, it’s a huge honour.”

Former World No. 2 and 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic will become the latest inductee into the International Hall of Fame in 2021, alongside 1994 Wimbledon titlist Conchita Martinez.

American Success
Since 1976, 22 editions of the singles tournament have been won by American players and 23 editions of the doubles event have featured an American winner. John Isner leads the way with a tournament record four singles trophies. Bryan Shelton (1991-’92) and Rajeev Ram (2009, ’15) also own multiple titles in Newport.

In doubles, Australia’s Jordan Kerr owns a record five Newport trophies. Jim Thomas owns the most doubles titles by an American man, having partnered Kerr to the title in 2004, 2005 and 2007. Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan and Rajeev Ram have all captured the Newport doubles trophy twice.

Isner Makes History
After falling in the first round on his first two appearances in Newport, John Isner dropped just one set across his next 10 matches at the ATP 250 to become the fourth man to win back-to-back Newport trophies in 2012. The American added a third title to his collection in 2017 and returned to the event in 2019 with history in his sights.

Bidding to break a tie with fellow three-time winner Vijay Amritraj, Isner survived three-set encounters against Kamil Majchrzak, Matthew Ebden and Ugo Humbert to reach his fourth Newport final. Isner needed 75 minutes to move past first-time ATP Tour finalist Alexander Bublik in straight sets to enter the history books.

Isner celebrates with his family at Newport 2019

Third Time Lucky For Ivo
Between 2004 and 2006, Ivo Karlovic contested final-set tie-breaks each year in the Newport final. After falling short of the trophy in 2004 and 2005, the 6’11” Croat made sure he did not suffer the same fate in 2006.

After recovering from a set down, Karlovic saved three championship points against Gilles Muller to clinch the trophy 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 7-6(12) after two hours and 56 minutes. The 37-year-old became the oldest champion in tournament history, passing 35-year-old Fabrice Santoro’s previous record set in 2008.

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Federer, Nadal Lead Impressive Honour Roll In Hamburg

  • Posted: Jul 13, 2020

Federer, Nadal Lead Impressive Honour Roll In Hamburg

Learn more about the Hamburg European Open, an ATP 500 event

Held the week after Wimbledon, the Hamburg European Open has a rich history of welcoming the best players on the ATP Tour.

The tournament, one of four German ATP Tour events, would have been held this week if not for the Tour suspension due to coronavirus.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to know about the ATP 500 tournament.

Hamburg History
Many of the greatest players in the history of the sport have triumphed at the Rothenbaum Tennis Centre. In fact, seven former World No. 1s have lifted the Hamburg trophy.

John Newcombe (1968), Ivan Lendl (1987, ’89), Stefan Edberg (1992), Marcelo Rios (1999), Gustavo Kuerten (2000), Roger Federer (2002, ’04, ’05, ’07) and Rafael Nadal (2008, ’15) have all enjoyed title runs in the German port city.

The list of doubles champions also features a number of high-profile names, including Stefan Edberg (1984), Daniel Nestor (1996, ’03, ’08), Mark Woodforde (2000), Todd Woodbridge (2000, ’01), Bob Bryan (2007) and Mike Bryan (2007). Emilio Sanchez owns a tournament record four doubles trophies (1986, ’89, ’91-’92).

Federer’s Four
Federer owns a tournament record four singles titles in Hamburg. The Swiss captured his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title at the event in 2002, beating Top 10 stars Gustavo Kuerten and Marat Safin en route to the trophy. After a third-round loss to Mark Philippoussis in 2003, Federer claimed 10 straight victories in Hamburg to claim back-to-back trophies in 2004 and 2005.

The Basel native missed the event in 2006, before adding another five matches to his win streak to claim a record-breaking fourth trophy. Following wins against Juan Carlos Ferrero, David Ferrer and Carlos Moya, Federer ended Nadal’s record 81-match winning streak on clay to move clear of fellow three-time Hamburg winners Eddie Dibbs and Andrei Medvedev. Federer, who owns a 32-5 record at the ATP 500, also reached the 2008 championship match, falling in three sets to Nadal.

<a href=Roger Federer owns a tournament record four titles at the Hamburg European Open.” />

Success For Nadal
Across four appearances in Hamburg, Nadal has reached the championship match on three occasions (2-1) and compiled a 16-2 tournament record. As a 16-year-old, the Spaniard reached the third round on his tournament debut in 2003.

Four years later, Nadal beat Fernando Gonzalez and Lleyton Hewitt to reach his maiden Hamburg championship match against Federer. Since his three-set loss to the Swiss, the 6’1” left-hander has claimed 10 straight victories in Hamburg. Nadal beat fellow ‘Big Four’ members Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer en route to his maiden trophy at the event in 2008 and defeated Fabio Fognini in the 2015 championship match to double his Hamburg trophy count.

Nadal

New Look
Over the past 18 months, the site of the Hamburg European Open has been transformed. With the Rothenbaum Tennis Stadium at the heart of the tournament’s renovations, the ATP 500 event has modernised its centre court with an updated retractable roof and stadium facade, complete with new seats for spectators.

Alongside improvements to its main stadium, which has decreased its capacity from 13,200 to 10,000 fans, the event has also renovated its players’ centre, press centre and site entrance. The tournament’s previous Hall of Fame has also been upgraded, with a new, digital ‘Walk of Champions’ taking its place.

The tournament received €10m in funding to complete the site improvements, including an €8m donation from The Alexander Otto Sports Foundation. The City of Hamburg, the German Tennis Federation and local tennis and field hockey club, Club an der Alster, provided the remaining funds for the project.

As part of its €10m renovation project, the <a href=Hamburg European Open has upgraded facilities at the Rothenbaum Tennis Stadium.” />

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Challenger At Home: Brayden Schnur

  • Posted: Jul 12, 2020

Challenger At Home: Brayden Schnur

Today’s ATP Challenger Tour stars discuss how they have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, providing an exclusive glimpse into life at home.

In our sixth episode, the birthday boy Brayden Schnur reflects on quarantine life at home with his family in Canada and reveals why he decided to move to California to continue training. The 25-year-old also takes questions from fans in a special Mailbag edition…

How do you celebrate a birthday in such crazy and uncertain times? Brayden Schnur kept it simple.

“There’s not much to do, that’s for sure,” said Schnur. “We made a reservation in a nice restaurant and we were lucky that they had a big patio, so they kept full service. I’m training and playing some exhibition matches in Newport Beach, California, and my girlfriend and sister came down to celebrate with me. We had a great dinner, had a few drinks and saw some fireworks. It was the best way to spend a birthday. We also rented an Airbnb for the week in Laguna Beach. Great view and great people. Can’t ask for much more.”

When the tour was suspended in March, the Toronto native took the opportunity to return home and spend some quality time with his family. Having competed at the University of North Carolina for four years and now four more on the professional circuit, he admits that he cherished the three months spent relaxing with his mom, dad and sister. It was a much-needed break to not only refresh mentally, but also physically after struggling with injuries to start the 2020 season.

But Schnur also admits that practising in Canada when it’s snowing and sub-freezing outside did not allow him to get the most from his training. Last month, the 25-year-old made the decision to relocate to the warmer climate of Newport Beach, California, to train with his fellow competitors, including Jason Jung, Ernesto Escobedo and Brandon Nakashima. With the ATP Challenger Tour nearing its restart, Schnur understands the importance of high-quality training sessions to put him in the best position to succeed.

Schnur

“I spent a good solid two months doing drills, not really playing points, but a lot of volume and repetition. I was finding my range, but there comes a point where you need to put yourself in match situations. Just to come here and play with these guys, who are an incredible level, feels good. It’s been months since we’ve played with something on the line, so this is much-needed.

“Back at home in Canada we were playing in the snow and then the next day it was 22 degrees out. It was the craziest thing ever. At that moment I said that I needed to go somewhere to get into a routine every single day. I made my way to Newport Beach and here I am.”

Schnur is hoping this fresh approach will produce his first champions’ trophy. The Canadian reached his first ATP Tour final a year ago at the New York Open and has finished runner-up in four finals on the ATP Challenger Tour.

After battling on the Challenger circuit for three years, finding his form and steadily climbing the FedEx ATP Rankings, Schnur enjoyed a breakthrough 2019 campaign. In addition to reaching the New York championship as a qualifier, he also competed in his first Grand Slams at Wimbledon and the US Open and cracked the Top 100 at a career-high No. 92 in August.

Schnur’s success at the Challenger level gave him the confidence to translate his success to the next level. Runner-up finishes in the U.S. in Newport Beach, California and Charlottesville, Virignia, was accompanied by a run to the championship match on home soil in Winnipeg.

“I’ve been telling my coach and my family that I’m match ready. I’m fit and playing at a better level than prior to the pandemic. I feel much stronger and I’m just ready to go out and compete again. If someone said that we’re going to have tournaments next week, I’d be ready. There’s no question about that.”

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Pete Sampras: My Perfect Day… Remembering 1999 Wimbledon

  • Posted: Jul 12, 2020

Pete Sampras: My Perfect Day… Remembering 1999 Wimbledon

The legendary Americans speaks exclusively to ATPTour.com about playing the best match of his career for the sixth of his seven Wimbledon titles

Editor’s Note: But for the COVID-19 pandemic, Wimbledon would now be underway. During the next two weeks ATPTour.com will look back on memorable matches and happenings at the grass-court Grand Slam. This story was originally published on 11 July 2019.

The serve was struck out wide to the forehand of Andre Agassi, the first volley steered into the open Ad court. Pete Sampras, not quite close enough to the net, had a split second to anticipate the exact pace and direction of the response: a flicked, improvised backhand, hit crosscourt and low over the net. Agassi, who had sprinted to his left, watched on as Sampras dove full length to pick a backhand drop volley that fell gently over the other side of the net. Agassi, now with his left arm on his waist, stared in disbelief as Sampras rose from the turf, inspecting a huge scab that had opened up on his left forearm. Having dusted himself off, the next two serves were 130 miles per hour aces from Sampras, who, in a seven-game blitz, produced an irresistible storm and carried the 1999 final at The Championships out of the hands of Agassi, who had been riding on the crest of a wave to his second Wimbledon final [1992].

From 3-3, serving at 0/40 in the first set, to the middle of the second set, memories remain vivid today, 20 years on, of one of the single greatest passages of play in the long history of the sport’s oldest championships. For Sampras, it was his perfect day. “People ask me what’s the best match I ever played? It would be that one,” the legendary American told ATPTour.com. “I played perfect grass-court tennis — moving well, returning and serving well against the best returner in the world. I was playing as well as I could and I got into the zone a bit.”

Sampras extended his seven-year record at the All England Club to 46-1, with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 victory over Agassi in one hour and 55 minutes on Centre Court. He’d hit 17 aces, lost just seven of his first-service points (49/56) and had made light of Agassi’s rise to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings on the back of his historic Roland Garros triumph, one month earlier. “He walked on water,” said Agassi, in the aftermath. On 4 July 1999, U.S. Independence Day, Sampras was the world’s best player.

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Coming in, Sampras had lifted his first tour-level trophy for eight months at The Queen’s Club, when he beat Goran Ivanisevic, 18-year-old Lleyton Hewitt and Tim Henman in a 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-6(4) victory in the final. But walking through the Doherty Gates at the All England Club was enough for 28-year-old Sampras to know that a shot at a sixth Wimbledon crown — which would additionally equal the then all-time Grand Slam championship singles tally of Australia’s Roy Emerson (12) — was a distinct possibility.

“There is always pressure at Wimbledon, I felt like it was the Super Bowl of our sport,” says Sampras. “But quite honestly, my form didn’t really matter coming in. I had years at Wimbledon where I came in not doing well at the French and maybe not even winning at Queen’s or a sub-par year coming into Wimbledon. Everything turned around for me at Wimbledon, I felt good, Centre Court inspired me and the tournament would always turn around my year.

“Physically, mentally, it was the perfect match. Sure, you’d love to be winning and lifting trophies coming in, have confidence and let people know you’re playing well, but I didn’t feel like it was that important that I won Queen’s. I knew that once I got going to Wimbledon and through the first couple of matches, I’d be off to the races. The surface, what the place meant to me, I’d had, I always knew I’d do well.”

For all of Sampras’ success at The Championships, which would include a seventh trophy in 2000 with a final victory over Patrick Rafter, the Californian still experienced butterflies, a nervous energy heightened by the anticipation to do well. Twenty years ago, Sampras swept through the first three rounds with wins over Australia’s Scott Draper, the 1998 Queen’s Club champion, who’d beaten Boris Becker two weeks earlier, when one break in each set was enough for a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 first-round victory; hit 17 aces in a 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 second-round encounter against Canada’s Sebastien Lareau and produced a serving masterclass against qualifier Danny Sapsford, playing his last match before taking up a coaching position with the British LTA, in a 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 victory.

Sampras remembers, “In the first rounds you’re a little nervous, trying to find your groove and rhythm. You’re maybe not as sharp and you get through a few tight sets, finding a way to break or win a tie-break. Once you get into the third or fourth round, the first weekend, you had passed the hard part and now it was time to peak and you were ready to go. The first two rounds were sometimes a little uncomfortable and you just wanted to get through them. Get it off your plate, the grass is a little slippery too. You wanted to stay on your toes, not take your foot off the pedal and win these matches handily. If I got through the first week, I knew I’d want to begin playing well and peaking. It seemed to work for me.”

Ten years away from Centre Court having a roof, the heavens opened and a four-day wait ensued for Sampras to play his fourth-round match against Canada’s Daniel Nestor — an ace-laden 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over 80 minutes — that stretched to the second Wednesday. “I remember it vaguely, long break can be good, but other times it feels like you’re starting the event over again,” says Sampras. “Without that roof, those years, you could play a match and then not play for three or four days. Players have it a little better today. It was a little unsettling.” At his rented house near Wimbledon village, Sampras whiled away the days with his coach, Paul Annacone — who, in 2019, is helping another American, Taylor Fritz — and his trainer, physio, masseuse, Todd Snyder, who’d worked for the men’s tour for 13 years, before joining the team in March 1995.

“It was all about tinkering with the engine, making sure your body was right,” recalls Sampras. “You were stretching and warming up on the days off: breaking a good sweat, but nothing you’re working on technically. Just taking care of your body and making sure you were ready for the next match. On my days off, I would hit for 45 minutes to an hour, I would stretch and might do a little 20-minute cool down, make sure the legs were loose, but nothing more than that. Just staying fresh. Get some good food and rest.”

With matches at the end of The Championships stacking up due to the weather, there was little Sampras could do to fine tune his game — only hope he could get through three matches in three days for Wimbledon glory.

First there was the ‘Scud’, Australia’s Mark Philippoussis, the US Open runner-up the year before, who clinched the first set 6-4, before Sampras was able to regroup prior to an untimely ending. “Early in the second set, at deuce in the third game, I hit a backhand passing shot down the line and when I landed I sort of fell awkwardly,” says Philippoussis. “That’s when I heard the click and grabbed it. I thought nothing of it until I jumped forward to return another serve and my left knee just gave way and there was a huge click that time.’ The World No. 11 knew his time was up after 52 minutes, when he heard another click on the next point.

Sampras may had dodged a bullet, trying to find his A-game after the enforced break, but 20 years on, told ATPTour.com, “Going in against Mark was an unsettling match. I didn’t feel like I was in danger of losing, as I was only one set down, but he then got injured [with a left knee injury].”

There was little time to ponder as Sampras came up against Henman, his golf partner and friend, 24 hours later in the semi-finals, for the second consecutive year. “I remember starting the match with Tim a little rusty — the match with Mark being quick,” says Sampras, who served three double faults in his opening service game and received treatment on his right thigh midway through the second set. “Playing Tim there was always tricky, not only as a very solid player, but also the crowd. I had a few different things that I had to deal with. By the end of the match, I remember I was starting to feel my game a little bit. Your heart rate goes down and you start to feel comfortable.” With a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory over the World No. 6 and British favourite, Sampras now deliberated over Agassi, one of the sport’s greatest returners.

“I had to take care of my service games and pick my spots,” remembers Sampras. “I remember using the body serve a bit with Andre that would take away the angle. On return games, it really was about not letting Andre dictate, doing something on the second serve and putting him on the defensive. I didn’t want to hang back, chipping the backhand and have him move me around. I wanted to dictate on grass and for it to be on my racquet. I didn’t want to get into long rallies or get content staying back and rallying with him. When I had my opportunity to go for it, I was going to go for it. Just set the tone early on and give Andre the impression that this final was going to be dictated by me. That was my mindset: be aggressive, even more aggressive than usual. He was a tough opponent.”

The 29-year-old Las Vegan, who had beaten Rafter 7-5, 7-6(2), 6-2 in the semi-finals, had won his first major championship for four years at Roland Garros, so the 1992 Wimbledon champion was in top form ahead of their Independence Day clash. Sampras had a 4-2 upper hand in their Grand Slam championship meetings, including victories in the 1990 and 1995 US Open finals, but baseliner Agassi had beaten Sampras at the 1995 Australian Open title match. The atmosphere was muted when they both walked out onto Centre Court on 4 July 1999, following compatriot Lindsay Davenport’s three-set win over Steffi Graf in the final Wimbledon match of the German’s trophy-laden career.

“Paul [Annacone] was always good at reminding me before I went out there of key points,” remembers Sampras, of what was discussed ahead of the first all-American Wimbledon men’s singles final since his victory over Jim Courier in 1993. “Picking the spots on my serve at the beginning of the match, when I needed to hit all the spots in the service box, as Andre was so good at picking up repetition and he’d pick you apart. It was about taking care of service games and reminding me when I was up 40/0 that I should really close out the game, rather than give him a chance. The more you hold serve, the more pressure he feels on his service games.

“In return games, I kind of knew what Andre wanted to do, but Paul always said to be aggressive and take your chances on second serve. Stay back with him, but don’t rush and wait for your opportunity, because that’s what grass-court tennis does. I loved playing baseliners, because eventually you’d get a short ball and I’d love coming up and getting to the net.”

Sampras set the tone early on in the 24th meeting of their careers, striking his backhand return — a shot that Agassi would often look to expose — with conviction and playing confidently from the back of the court. “Andre has just won the French, so he was coming in quite strong into the event,” says Sampras. “I was playing well, then I played Andre – which meant there was a little more to it than Boris [Becker] or Goran. Everything clicked, which is hard to do in a major final as there is always nerves. We got to 3-3, 0/40 in my service game, and from that moment on, and for the rest of the match, I played as well as I could.

“Andre had a chance and didn’t break me, and then I felt like I got out of a little bit of a hole. He might have gotten a bit tight, as he had those chances. It was a combination of the two that enabled me to get on that run. I let my shoulders down and just played. I had to as he was playing well, but I knew if I played well on grass, the way my game was, I felt virtually unbeatable. It was a big moment to win, more about how I played than beating Andre.”

Having recovered from 0/40 at 3-3 in the first set, Sampras broke Agassi for 5-3 with the help of a double fault, then served out the set — and en route to 3-1 in the second set, he’d won 23 of 27 points. Sampras completed the final by hitting his 16th and 17th aces. Agassi, who had won 13 straight matches to take away the World No. 1 ranking from Sampras, later admitted, “He has a knack for doing things like that. He’s a champion. He has proven that… I feel mentally and emotionally a little beat up. I didn’t feel like I was No. 1 today.”

Sampras equalled Emerson’s all-time record Grand Slam singles championship tally that day and went on to add a further two trophies — 2000 Wimbledon (d. Rafter) and the 2002 US Open (d. Agassi), which was the final match of his career — for 14 overall. Sampras says, “Wimbledon defined who I am and what I could do and play. I miss it.” Since his playing retirement in 2002, he did not return to The Championships for seven years, when he and his wife, Bridgette, took a 12-hour red-eye flight from Los Angeles to witness Roger Federer break his all-time titles’ record with a 16-14 fifth set victory over Andy Roddick in the 2009 Wimbledon final. But now, with Sampras’ youngest son, 13-year-old Ryan, developing a passion for the sport, and his elder brother, 16-year-old Christian, “asking plenty of questions and watching YouTube clips”, the American hopes to visit the All England Club in the “next year or two”.

Sampras adds, “Both my kids now know what I did and they know I was good at it. I try to give them examples of how to work hard and what it takes to be a champion. You have to work in life, nobody is going to hand it to you. That’s what tennis did to me, it gave me many life lessons and I want to teach my kids that. You’re out there on your own and you’ve got to make it happen yourself. There is no question in tennis, as an individual sport, you have to go out there and earn it.”

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