Where does Pete go from here?

Sampras: on tap for another Open title
Capriati caps loss with night of partying

By Sandra Harwitt
tennisreporters.net

Susan Mullane Camerawork USA, Inc.

FROM THE U.S. OPEN – If the powers that be hadn’t fixed the seeding at the Grand Slams to 32 instead of 16 the past year-and-a-half, Pete Sampras would’ve arrived at this year’s U.S. Open as an unseeded competitor. But as it happens, Sampras is the No. 17 seed and looking like a likely finalist here at Flushing Meadows for a third consecutive year.

Sampras, a four-time champion at the Open, heads out to the semifinals on Saturday against the No. 24 seed Sjeng Schalken. While the Dutchman has played a splendid five matches to reach his first ever Grand Slam semifinal, Sampras is the favorite in the matchup.

Interestingly, if Sampras does get to the final, he will either experience a repeat of the final last year where he watched Lleyton Hewitt score his first Grand Slam victory, or a repeat of the 1990 and 1995 against Andre Agassi, in which Sampras was the victor both times. Sampras’s win over Agassi in 1990 marked the first of his record 13 Grand Slam trophies to date.

Nevertheless, Sampras is not writing in his name on the final slot of the draw to play either Agassi or Hewitt until the deed is done. “I’ve got my hands full against Sjeng,” Sampras said. “He’s an experienced pro, does everything well. I’m focused. I’m not looking ahead at all. I have my work cut out for me on Saturday.”

SAMPRAS IN SUNNY MOOD
Sampras has certainly been smiling and in a good mood here at the Open, where his constant proclamations this season that he still has it in him to reign victorious seems to be coming true.

“You know, I’m going to say it again – I still feel like I can do it out there against anybody,” Sampras said. “I still have the goods. I believe in myself and that’s the key for me.

“It’s been a tough year. Mentally it’s been tough. But, you know, I’m not dwelling on what’s happened this year. I’m looking forward to playing at the Open. It get my juices going and it’s showing.”

Sampras has been admirably honest about his status this year, even admitting that at times during the season he was feeling lost and in the unfamiliar territory of possessing little-to-no self-assuredness.

“Yeah – there was points this year where I was second-guessing and just not that confident,” he said. “You know, it showed at times. Guys are getting a little bit better. They don’t have that fear factor (when facing me).”

Sampras, whose five consecutive matches the past 11 days is more matches than he had won since May, refused to listen to the constant tongue wagging that reported he was finished and washed up. Even when he was ushered out of Wimbledon, a place where he won seven titles, in the second round by unheralded Swiss George Bastl, he was not willing to surrender his career. He was insistent he would not leave the hallowed All England grounds with the stinging memory of a bitter loss as his final memory of playing the Championships.

WIMBLEDON LOSS: ‘LOW POINT OF CAREER”
“Wimbledon, getting back home, that was one of the ultimate low points of my career, I think,” Sampras said, honestly. “Such a shocker, the way it went. That was a tough moment.

“But now I feel like I’m in pretty good rhythm, everything’s clicking. You kind of wait for it (to happen). I’ve been pretty patient all year, finally for it to kind of click. It’s nice that it’s happening here.”

If we look ahead to the possibility that Sampras is in serious contention for a 14th Grand Slam trophy here come Sunday, if that scenario was to unfold in his favor, where does he go from here?

Does Sampras keep to his consistent comments that he will play through December 2003 when he will assess whether it is time to go or time to stay? Or does Sampras see the natural symmetry of his winning his first Grand Slam title at 19 here at the Open and see the brilliance in his walking off into the sunset with a 14th and final Grand Slam title here at the Open?

The truth is that to many of us, if Sampras is fortunate to prevail here – that is a big if because even if he reaches the final he has a daunting opponent ahead in either old nemesis Agassi or current world No. 1 Hewitt – it would seem the perfect time to end a brilliant career. But it is up to Sampras to decide whether that high note is where he wants to call it quits or if he believes there would be other high notes ahead.

But the bottom line is he still has to get by Schalken and Sampras knows that the Dutchman will be there attempting to fly into the final, too.

Capriati caps loss with night of partying

Fred Mullane Camerawork USA, Inc.

The New York Post and Daily News provided readers with color photos of Jennifer Capriati drowning her sorrow at a quarterfinal loss to Amelie Mauresmo on Wednesday by partying on Thursday evening at the East Village nightclub “Serafina.” The Post won the battle of the headlines with “Jennifer Capri-hottie’s Village striptease,” but readers of both papers had a birds-eye view of Capriati, stripped down to her black silk bra with fellow pro, Iva Majoli, dancing and singing at the club. The Post also had a picture of Capriati with cigarette in hand, not the usual habit for professional athletes.

Apparently, Capriati arrived on the scene with friend Matthew Perry, but the “Friends” star, who has taken pains in recent weeks to alert media to the fact that there is nothing romantic going on between Capriati and him, left the club hours before the tennis star.