U.S. OPEN

September 6, 1994

Pete Sampras

PETE SAMPRAS: Well, basically in the third set, I just felt my recovery with the points was getting a little bit longer and longer. Played a hard point, took me couple points to get over it and I just felt like I'm not in great shape right now and I acknowledge the fact that I've taken five weeks off and not really played many matches and I just hit the wall today. I didn't have anything left and, lost four, five games I was just going on the adrenaline from the crowd and that helped me out, but I got blisters on my feet. My feet are raw --

PETE SAMPRAS: Both feet. Are just -- just sore and the whole body is sore. I mean, I didn't -- kind of just caught up with me, and today I just didn't have anything left. Basically, from the fourth and fifth. I was just trying to get through it somehow and, you know, it's very simple, I'm just not in great shape and in order to win a Slam, you've got to be in good shape and I, you know, had five weeks off and was doing the bike and lifting, but it is not the same as playing long points and it just took its toll.

PETE SAMPRAS: Well, even when I -- after I played Vacek, I was sore. I just -- I'm not used to the pounding on the hardcourts and I knew going in to today's match it was going to be a lot of long rallies and I just -- as I said, each game I was getting worse and worse shape where I just wasn't recovering like I usually do. You know, I just -- just not in great shape.

PETE SAMPRAS: I don't think so. I mean, it wasn't a particularly hot day.

PETE SAMPRAS: Well, I knew I might be stiff after my first couple rounds and I didn't think it was going to the point where I was exhausted and that's where I was today, I was just exhausted, you know, you got to give him credit, he made me move around quite a bit and, you know, it's just disappointing. I wish I was in better shape and --

PETE SAMPRAS: No, I was going to go the distance.

PETE SAMPRAS: I was just doing the bike, bike and lifting that's all I could do. About four weeks and I was hitting a little bit, but nothing like I normally do. So, you know, doing the bike isn't the same as going out there and playing all the points.

PETE SAMPRAS: At this point I'm really -- haven't given much thought about the Davis Cup and Sweden, just have to take the next couple days off and physically get over this, get the soreness out of me.

PETE SAMPRAS: I thought I fought pretty hard and I wasn't going to give up. I wasn't going to retire and let him not earn it, and -- you know, I thought I fought hard and I want to thank the crowd for really getting behind me and, you know, I'm able to break him and, you know, I had some chances, but, if you don't have your shape, you don't have anything.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yes, with a day off tomorrow and about 20 hours of massage, maybe.

PETE SAMPRAS: I was thinking there in the match when I was playing Jim in Wimbledon, it was a hot day and, again, I was pretty exhausted and fortunately at Wimbledon you play these quick points, whereas here, I was probably in worse shape today than I've ever been in a match.

PETE SAMPRAS: That's what was keeping me in the match was my serve, holding pretty easily just trying to get the first serve in and basically just kind of going for it and I just felt the longer the rally went, the worst chance I had at winning the point and winning the match. And, you know, looking back, maybe I should just have gone for more on his second serves and come in more, make the points shorter, but, you know, I just felt that was the most comfortable thing for me to do, stay back.

PETE SAMPRAS: No, just tired. My back was stiffening up and that's when I know when I'm not in great shape, my back gets stiff and if you don't have your fitness, you don't have the energy to really give 100% and I was trying and I ate food, I'm not dehydrated, I'm just not in great shape, it's simple.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, I had food poisoning.

PETE SAMPRAS: No.

PETE SAMPRAS: I was just trying to catch some wind, just couldn't get any oxygen down.

PETE SAMPRAS: It's just the pride. I don't want -- I want him, if he's going to beat me, he's going to have to go the distance and I wasn't even thinking about retiring.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, he's got one of the better backhands on the tour and I just felt I needed to, come in and, you know, hit a three quarter speed serve and put the pressure on him that he -- but he came in with a good shot.

PETE SAMPRAS: Well, fortunately it was U.S. Open, tiebreaker in the fifth set, I'm not a big fan, but that would have helped me out. I just felt the last four games I felt okay because the adrenaline was extremely high and I was just kind of trying to get through it.

PETE SAMPRAS: The serve wasn't there all day from the first game on to the whole match. The serve-- wasn't using it to my advantage and didn't serve well.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, absolutely. On the other hand I can look back at this year and once you win a Grand Slam title, it is a good year and if you win two it is a great year and you know, I'm so disappointed being out the whole summer and not preparing well, and that kind of just haltered a great year being injured and it is not that fun. I'll get over this, I mean, I'm wanted to come down and talk to you guys and tell you guys how I'm feeling, that's important to me.

PETE SAMPRAS: I hope so I hope -- I hope they appreciated that I was trying to do everything I could, even though I was pretty much exhausted and I appreciate that. I mean, really it got me going, especially in the last three or four games I felt -- I was feeling okay and the crowd was I was sum.

PETE SAMPRAS: I just fell the more he was moving me the more sore I was getting. It was -- my feet are just really raw. It's just all the skin is coming off and my feet aren't used to the pounding of the hardcourt, and it's just -- you know I'll have to go from here and get over this experience.

PETE SAMPRAS: No, I didn't hear the beginning of the question.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yes, I was felt when I was down a break in the fifth and the crowd really makes a noise and you got a little tired and missed some shots and it was nice to have everyone behind me. I think they appreciated that I was giving everything I had and not feeling all that great and, so, I wish I could have pulled out a win for them.

PETE SAMPRAS: That's fine. My ankle feels fine.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yes.

PETE SAMPRAS: I didn't realize how I was feeling until I got into the situation to push hard and work hard and that's when I was thinking, on the changeovers I'm just not recovering and I need to recover and I didn't think about it once until I actually was tired. Yeah.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, my feet -- my skin was coming off my feet and in order to get injury time you've got to show blood and I didn't have any blood. It's true. You've got to show blood and I was just -- it was real raw and just not enough time to tape it up, so I decided not to tape it.

PETE SAMPRAS: I just -- he was giving it to me. He was really missing a lot of shots, wasn't making me move as much and just making errors and then he just tightened up his game a little bit and moved me around even more and broke me back and there you have it.

PETE SAMPRAS: No, I didn't think about it.

PETE SAMPRAS: No.

PETE SAMPRAS: I felt -- it was weird, I felt like I could still outrally him when we got into a groundstroke rally. I thought I could outrally him and looking back now, I would have attacked his second serve a little more, make the points shorter that way, but, you know, just made a decision that I felt most comfortable with and it might have cost me the match.

PETE SAMPRAS: This is the last major and it's disappointing to lose like this, but I got -- I got Davis Cup for the rest of the year and couple events in Europe and ATP finals, but the way I'm feeling right now, I feel like I could not pick up a racket for the next four months.

PETE SAMPRAS: I think he's got a really good shot to win it.

PETE SAMPRAS: The way he's playing, I think he's got as good a chance as anyone.

PETE SAMPRAS: I don't know.

PETE SAMPRAS: I don't know.

PETE SAMPRAS: I don't know. I haven't really thought about it. I've been in most of the Grand Slam finals. So, I don't know, probably not. I feel like I should be there. I probably won't watch it.

PETE SAMPRAS: You have to give him credit, yeah, he played well, the crowd was against him and he -- huge match point, you have to give him credit. He's a consistent player and he's good.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, first round. I guess you could call that bit of irony.