Samprasfanz

Pete lost to Marcelo Rios 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (7)

Regarding the duel with Sampras, Rios only had praises for his rival. “Here [in Chile] the guy took it as an exhibition and was very relaxed. When I played him in Brazil, I did not think he would reach such good level. It is like seeing him at his best moments. He still has his powerful and very good serve. The truth, he really impressed me very much.”

“Seeing him play and facing him is very different The way he plays at 36, it is clear that the guy is from another level,” Rios said.

Pete also praised Rios, “Marcelo played well. I lost some key points and he started serving better. At the end I did not play well, I failed several balls of game and ended losing, I was at match point and did not take advantage of that.”

Pete continued in humor, “It was the last time that (Rios) wins [against] me. I was a good [guest] to the host and I let him win as the local.”

When asked if Pete will consider returning to Chile for another match, he replied, “Absolutely, just being here is a pleasure for me. I hope to be back some day for another exhibition or on the Veterans tour, it would be cool. We will see. But I repeat, it is the last time he (Rios) wins over me.”

Thanks to our Samprasfanz member, Maritza for the translation

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Pete Sampras hammered Marcelo Rios 6-2, 7-6(5) in the Sao Paulo final to win his first title on the BlackRock Tour of Champions.

The American was giving away four years to Rios, but his serve would not have looked out of place at Wimbledon next week as he rushed through the opening set with breaks in the fifth and seventh games. In the second set, neither player could convert break-point chances and the set went to a tie-break which Sampras won to finish the match.

“I’m very happy to finish the week with the title,” said Sampras, who hit 16 aces in the match. “I enjoyed playing here in front of this crowd in Brazil.”

Rios was disappointed, but paid tribute to Sampras.

“Pete is playing very good tennis and it was hard to beat him as his serve is so big. I hope to have other chances to play him. On this surface it is obvious that he has a big advantage but in the future I hope to have a second shot at him.”

In the 3rd/4th place match, Brazilian Jaime Oncins battled past countryman Fernando Meligeni 6-2, 6-7(6), 10-7 in one hour and 30 minutes.

The circuit now moves on to Istanbul, Turkey next month. It will be the first time that the BlackRock Tour of Champions has ever visited Turkey.

Source: BlackRock Tour of Champions

The BlackRock Tour of Champions will stage the first ever meeting in a final between Pete Sampras and Marcelo Rios when they clash in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Sunday.

Rios battled past Peru’s Jaime Yzaga 6-0, 7-5 on Saturday, while Sampras dismissed Thomas Muster 6-3, 6-2. It means the pair completed the round-robin stages of the event unbeaten, and something will have to give in the final of the Nossa Caixa Grand Champions Brazil.

As well as the perfect conclusion to the event itself, it will also help to answer a few questions about what would have happened if they had met more often during their careers.

When Rios reached the summit of tennis in 1998, the prospect of a thrilling rivalry with Sampras had beckoned.

Rios, the most uniquely talented left-hander since John McEnroe, had reached No.1 in the rankings during the first half of that year, winning titles in Indian Wells, Miami and Rome. Sampras dug deep to win his fifth of seven Wimbledon titles and ultimately finish the year as the World No.1 for a record sixth successive year. Throughout those compelling 12 months, they did not meet once. In fact, despite their careers overlapping for eight years, they played each other only twice, with Sampras winning on both occasions – on clay at Roland Garros in 1994 (Rios’ debut year on the circuit) and indoors in Stuttgart in 2001.

At 32 and 36 respectively, Rios and Sampras are still in excellent physical shape, and both have beaten current ATP players in exhibition matches this year.

“It should be a good final,” confirmed Sampras.

“Rios is young, talented and in very good shape. He is serving well too. He could probably still be playing on the (ATP) tour.”

Rios was equally excited by the prospect of Sunday’s clash.

“To play Sampras in the final here will be incredible. We are happy he decided to play some events on the BlackRock Tour of Champions,” he said.

Elsewhere, Jaime Oncins defeated Andrei Cherkasov 6-7(2), 6-4, 10-7 (Champions’ Tie-break) in one hour and 50 minutes to book a spot in Sunday’s 3rd/4th place match against Fernando Meligeni. Meligeni enjoyed a 7-6(10), 4-6, 10-7 (Champions’ tie-break) victory over Marc-Kevin Goellner.

Source: BlackRock Tour of Champions

Pete Sampras needed all of his famed power, skill and experience to scrape past home favourite Fernando Meligeni and make a winning start to his BlackRock Tour of Champions career in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Thursday.

Sampras and Meligeni came into the match with a career head-to-head of 1-1, and it was immediately clear that the American would have his work cut out in front of a partisan, capacity crowd at the WTC Golden Hall.

The American broke Meligeni in the first game before holding serve to take the set 6-3, but Meligeni hit back to break the former Word No.1 at 2-2 in the second. With an ace, Meligeni closed out the second set 6-4. In the Champions’ Tie-break Sampras started strongly and quickly took a 7-3 lead, closing out the match 6-3, 4-6, 10-6 (Champions’ Tie-break).

“I was told that people are very passionate about sports here and that there are many tennis fans in Sao Paulo,” said Sampras.

“It was pleasure to play here. They had never had the chance to see me play live before, so I’m just happy to be here. The court is fast so it was hard to adjust with only one match, but I’m sure I will be better tomorrow.”

For Meligeni, it was a special experience to play the 14-time Grand Slam champion in front of the Brazilian’s own fans.

“It is an honour to play Pete Sampras in Brazil,” he said.

“The guy is living legend, probably the best tennis player ever seen. It was a lot of fun to play in front of my home crowd once again. I could off the energy of the crowd and I think I was able to put up a good show for the fans. It is quite tough to play a guy like Pete on hard courts. His shots come fast and heavy and you don’t have much time to react. His serve is one of the best I have ever had to return and his ball placement is just incredible. I can’t say enough good things about his game.”

Chilean Marcelo Rios also opened his campaign at the BlackRock Tour of Champions even in Sao Paulo with a win. The former World No.1 showed all of his talent to dismiss Russia’s Andrei Cherkasov 6-3, 6-2 in 61 minutes. Rios, who is currently No.3 in the 2008 South African Airways Tour of Champions Rankings, could gain the lead if he wins the title in Sao Paulo.

“I think that I played well for my first match here but there is still some room for improvement. Tomorrow’s match against Jaime (Oncins) will be good fun. I’m looking forward to the opportunity of playing a Brazilian in Sao Paulo,” said Rios.

Earlier, local favourite Oncins defeated Peruvian Jaime Yzaga 6-4, 6-4, while Marc-Kevin Goellner overcame Thomas Muster 6-2, 6-4.

Source: BlackRock Tour of Champions

Pete Sampras has dismissed suggestions that Roger Federer’s four-year dominance of tennis is on the wane.

Seven-times Wimbledon winner Sampras believes Federer remains the man to beat despite the Swiss having won just two minor titles in 2008.

And Sampras has backed Federer to win his sixth consecutive Wimbledon title.

“He’s still the guy most likely to win the majors. He’s lost a couple but if anything that’ll do him some good, it’ll get him fired up,” said Sampras.

“As great as Roger is he’s going to have his losses and his bad days, it’s just human nature to go through some lulls.

“The media need a story and something to grab on to, like he’s lost his edge. He hasn’t lost his edge.

“If he goes through the next few months and he’s losing a lot and he doesn’t contend for tournaments then maybe, but I don’t see that happening.”

Federer was thrashed by world number two Rafael Nadal in the French Open final earlier this month, winning just four games.

And Novak Djokovic, who beat Federer in the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January on his way to the title, says the Swiss is vulnerable.

He said: “Federer is still the number one in the world, but suddenly he feels a little bit shaken up because of a couple of losses.

“It’s normal to have ups and downs after four years of absolute dominance.

“New names are coming, talented players who believe they can beat him and I am one of them. Suddenly he is a little bit worried.”

Sampras, though, remains convinced that he will lose his record of 14 career Grand Slam titles to Federer.

And the American former world number one says he wants to be present when it happens – ideally at Wimbledon, a place he has not returned to since he retired.

Sampras will make his first return to London since Wimbledon 2002 when he plays in the BlackRock Masters Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall in December.

“If I were to step back on that court at Wimbledon it would bring up a lot of emotion, just because of what the place meant to me and how big it was to the sport of tennis,” said the American, who makes his debut on the BlackRock Tour of Champions in Sao Paulo on Thursday.

“As much as I’m a full-blooded American and I love the US Open, there’s just a certain romance that I’ve always had with Wimbledon.

“I didn’t always express it with words but I think internally I just felt a great connection with the place, the court and the arena.

“I felt like that was what tennis was all about for me and I look forward to going back and enjoying that experience.”

Source: BBC