U.S. OPEN

September 7, 1995

Pete Sampras

PETE SAMPRAS: I am not really paying too much attention to the other guys. You know, after I won the first two, you know, there is no reason to fool around at this point in the tournament and take things for granted. Just try to stay on top of him. The last set was the best set I played all week. I really started to pick up my serve. My whole game kind of just came behind it. So you know, you don't want to relax at that point, just want to stay on top of these guys and not let them back into the match.

PETE SAMPRAS: No. I mean, I'd say from the first round today's match, you know, you are going out as focused as possible giving 120%. I mean, it doesn't really matter which round it is. This is the U.S. Open. Like I said, if you don't go out focused ready to play these guys are going to beat you. I thought I did a pretty good job of concentrating, considering the conditions. It was brutal. It was so windy and so it was a good one to get through.

PETE SAMPRAS: Either way, it is going to be --

PETE SAMPRAS: -- a brutal match.

PETE SAMPRAS: I had some pretty good wars with Michael also. I have been rivals with him since I have been playing this game. But either way, I feel like, you know, it is a pretty straightforward match. I have played those guys a number of times. I think it is going to be a pretty good match tonight, but either way I feel like I am ready to go.

PETE SAMPRAS: No. No, not really. Having the proper foods and get a lot of sleep and just when I am off, when I am out of Flushing Meadow, go home and relax, don't really go to any sporting events, even though I enjoyed watching the Cowboys kick a little ass against the Giants, and that is really it.

PETE SAMPRAS: Not really. I feel like I am pretty fit. There is always something a little sore every now and again, but at this point in the tournament, you can't worry about something is bothering you. You have to go out and not worry about it, just play your tennis.

PETE SAMPRAS: Last year, I got -- I hurt my ankle after Wimbledon and playing the Davis Cup in Holland and I didn't play the whole summer and I came here just not in great shape; not in great tennis shape and I paid the price against Yzaga, but this year I thought I had a pretty good summer, not a great summer, but I feel like a lot more prepared this year than I was last year.

PETE SAMPRAS: Unfortunately every match from this point on gets a little tougher, and --, you know, playing Jim or Michael, they are a level or two above playing someone like Byron, but I feel like I am playing well and if I am playing well, I think I am pretty tough to beat and my whole game just revolves around my serve. If I am serving well that kind of lets the rest of my game be a lot more confident and I can hit my groundies a little cleaner. Once I got through that first set, I started to relax a little bit and started to hit the ball a little better.

PETE SAMPRAS: If I happen to win my match on Saturday, I will answer that question.

PETE SAMPRAS: Not really. I really didn't know what to expect, you know, Michael and I kind of grew up in the same neighborhood; played each other many, many times since we were eight years old and it is so ironic that he won the French Open youngest ever and I won here in '90 and it is just kind of ironic how everything just kind of worked out. And so, you know, I got a lot of respect for both those guys Jim and Michael. I didn't know really what to expect when I was 14, 15, just trying to worry about what I am doing and hopefully being a top player.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, I played him in Poway, California near San Diego.

PETE SAMPRAS: It was a junior tournament, I think boy's 10s or 12s.

PETE SAMPRAS: And I beat him.

PETE SAMPRAS: I remember I beat him in three sets and he hasn't changed since the first day I played him. I mean,--

PETE SAMPRAS: I don't want to you quote me on that one, but --

PETE SAMPRAS: Well, I don't remember a great deal of the first match, but I played him all the way through the juniors. He plays the same way, I mean, he grinds from the backcourt. He had great wheels; really picked up his serve quite a bit over the past couple of years, he has got some of the best guts I have ever seen on the Tour, really fights hard and that is the one thing he depends on is his fighting ability.

PETE SAMPRAS: You know, I think first time I played Jim was in Kalamazoo in the 16s; maybe 18s. He beat me in three sets. It was like a 6-0, 1-6, 6-1 match. It was a little bit strange, but I think it was the 16s or the 18s. I don't really have a great memory of my junior career.

PETE SAMPRAS: Quarters. That was the year that Michael beat Jim and then he won a match here, I don't know, what was that '88?

PETE SAMPRAS: '87.

PETE SAMPRAS: No, it was one.

PETE SAMPRAS: His game?

PETE SAMPRAS: His game hasn't changed, you know, he stays back and hits the big serve and backs it up with some big groundies. So his game really hasn't changed too much.

PETE SAMPRAS: When I played him? A little bit. I was just starting to serve and volley at that point and trying to develop some sort of net game and some type of serve. But my game is pretty much the same as it was back then.

PETE SAMPRAS: What did he say?

PETE SAMPRAS: Oh, yeah, I think I did see some comments. You know, of all places Wimbledon is not going to have any impact by Nike or any company. I mean, I think he was complaining about the scheduling or something like that. I don't know -- I don't know much about it. I think it was a little bit farfetched. I never really thought about it. I mean, I think, you know, Wimbledon has their own schedule and their own scheduling committee that they are going to put the players they want to put on center court and court 1, so it really doesn't matter. I mean, I remember in '94 when I came back as defending champion I was put on court 14, so, I mean, you know, that is nonsense.

PETE SAMPRAS: I really don't know. I think the Pizza Hut commercial was, I think, came off pretty well, and -- but I am still the same. I am still, you know, I have done a couple of commercials, but my whole attitude towards the game and my attitude on the court is the same, and I just go out there and try to win and just let my racket do the talking, but, you know, as far as marketing, I have done a couple of more things this year, and I don't want to do too many things. I still like to go out and be left alone for the most part. But it has been pretty good, the Nike ads with Andre, had a lot of good response, and -- but, you know, I am pretty happy the way things have been.

PETE SAMPRAS: As far as what do you mean?

PETE SAMPRAS: No, because I am prepared to start doing some other things, commercials and after Wimbledon, the pizza guys asked me if I wanted to do something, and I saw the script of me and John and I thought it would be pretty fun to do and kind of showed a lighter side to me and the Nike one really was a pleasure to do. It was a fun one to pull off, but I think I have had enough commercials for a while.

PETE SAMPRAS: Sometimes, yeah. I am not a very good actor.

PETE SAMPRAS: No.

PETE SAMPRAS: I have taken the Tube, but not to Wimbledon.

PETE SAMPRAS: No.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yes.