WESTERN AND SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS

August 6, 2002

Pete Sampras

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

PETE SAMPRAS: I was struggling a little bit tonight with my serve, serving so well in Toronto I came here and conditions are little bit heavier, a little slower tonight and didn't feel like I could get much on it. Give him a lot of credit, he was returning really well, and making me play a lot, but I didn't feel like I had the rhythm tonight. Managed to kind of hang in there and get into a tiebreaker and played pretty solid. He came in here really confident, obviously a huge win for him a couple of days ago. I think in the third maybe got a little bit frustrated but a good match to get through. I hung in there pretty well.

PETE SAMPRAS: Hopefully going to have one tomorrow, but maybe going to be pretty tough battle against Arthurs one of the best serves in the game. I am playing pretty well. I feel like I can raise it a touch here and get through tomorrow's match. It won't be easy.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah.

PETE SAMPRAS: I am happy. Toronto was a disappointment. Felt like I played well enough to get through that match against Haas. Maybe going into the weekend, but tough loss, but got here and took it a little time off and got going again and getting ready for this week. These weeks are tough back-to-back. You don't have any easy matches out here. These are very, very demanding weeks on the Tour back-to-back. So you need to have a lot of time to gear up, but you just have to do the best you can and get ready. Tonight I just had a little bit more than he did at the end.

PETE SAMPRAS: I am not going to play next week. Just -- no.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, I am playing the Hamlet which you know, if I play next week that's potentially six straight weeks and that's too much.

PETE SAMPRAS: I am a little bit naive to it. I am not sure exactly what is happening with the schedule.

PETE SAMPRAS: It's not a bad week.

PETE SAMPRAS: That's life, I guess.

PETE SAMPRAS: Hopefully it will bring some continuity to the sport. And a little bit what the golf channel did for golf, and just to have a channel to kind of follow the game. It's such a worldwide game, it does get a little confusing, you have so many different events around the world at the same time, that hopefully people that follow tennis can watch the Tennis Channel and see the results and it can make it a little bit more clear. Just to show a different side of some of the players, doing some personality pieces. And I have done a little work with them and we'll see what happens with it. I hope it does well. I think tennis needs a Tennis Channel, we'll see how it does.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, that's what people really want to see. I mean, when -- I am a huge sportsfan. I don't -- it's great seeing athletes play their sport but to see behind the scenes stuff, I love it. It is like watching Cribs on MTV. I just want to see how these guys live, and I mean, me and Andy and his coach hop on the plane and just, you know, spend a couple of hours talking about the game, just kind of behind the scenes. I think people are into that. They see me play tennis, they know what I do, but to see something a little bit different I think is pretty appealing.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, he was sleeping. He wanted me to do something a little silly.

PETE SAMPRAS: One time in World Team Cup. Very solid. Moves well, competes well.

PETE SAMPRAS: Pretty good. I think winning Toronto gave him some confidence. The court was playing pretty quick there which is going to be the same at the Open. He gets going. He's a tough competitor, really plays well. Has all the shots. And he has got a decent shot of doing well.