Tag: other interview

An Interview With Davis Cup Captain, Patrick McEnroe, August 2002 (At The Tennis Masters Series – Cincinnati ATP Tour Event)

Vince Barr: Do you think that there is any similarity between Pete Sampras’ attempt to come back and the one Andre Agassi had to deal with back in 1997?

Patrick McEnroe: “I don’t think there are too many similarities, no. I think, obviously, Andre fell way out, he went down to 141 in the world, and I think it was more a case of him losing interest. I think Pete’s got, I don’t think he’s got as far to come back, I think he’s clearly struggling, his confidence is hurting at the moment. But, a couple of tough wins and a couple of matches that he can pull out will do a lot for him. Certainly, he hasn’t gone as far but it’s still going to be difficult. Obviously, he’s not going to come back and dominate, but he’s still going to have a chance to make a move in a major, I think.”

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An Interview With Cliff Drysdale, August 10, 2002 (At The Tennis Masters Series – Cincinnati ATP Tour Event)

Vince Barr: Does Pete Sampras’ loss to George Bastl @ Wimbledon this year signal the end of his ability to compete for a major title; specifically at Wimbledon but including any other Slam?

Cliff Drysdale: “That loss in and of itself certainly does not (indicate that Pete’s days of winning Slams are over). I think that when the whole story is written with his results since then (i.e., when he last won a major), it’s too early to call for the demise of Pete Sampras.”

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An Interview With Tom Gullikson, August 10, 2002 (At The Tennis Masters Series – Cincinnati ATP Tour Event)

Vince Barr: You started out the year coaching Pete but after the Australian Open, he changed coaches. What happened? Was there a miscommunication as to how long you were going to be with him?

Tom Gullikson: Well, no. Pete called me about three weeks after Australia and basically said, “Tom, thanks for going down to Australia and everything but I’ve come to the conclusion that we’re too good of friends to really be player and coach. I’d just rather stay good friends.” He just felt that at this point in his career, he really needed a coach who wasn’t his friend. So he wanted to kind of divorce the friendship part from the coaching relationship. So I said, “That’s fine. I don’t need to travel 30 weeks a year anyway and I’m happy to be your friend.” So we parted as friends.

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An Interview With Fred Stolle, August 2000 (At The Tennis Masters Series – Cincinnati ATP Tour Event)

Vince Barr: How do you think tennis historians will remember Pete Sampras, especially after winning his 13th Grand Slam? What if he never wins the French?

Fred Stolle: “Well, I think they will put him down as one of the greatest players. I think Pete will say he is one of the greatest players. But the one thing that has eluded him has been the French. However, if you have a look at all the great champions, there’s quite a few of the “great” players that come in one sentence that didn’t win all four. Somebody had a bit of problem on one surface or another. Laver’s won all of them, (John) McEnroe didn’t, Borg didn’t. But Sampras has shown, by winning Wimbledon this year when he was injured, that he could stick to a plan and was confident enough to know that Centre Court was his. And when he plays out there, he doesn’t lose.”

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An Interview With Patrick McEnroe, August 2000 (At The Tennis Masters Series – Cincinnati ATP Tour Event)

Vince Barr: Pete just won his record-breaking 13th major at Wimbledon; in your assessment, where does that accomplishment place him in the ranks of all time great tennis players? What if he never wins the French Open?

Patrick McEnroe: “Well, he’s obviously up there no matter what he does the rest of his career. I still think he has a couple of good years left. Winning the French is going to continue to be difficult for him. I think he’s one of the greatest — obviously — ever to play. I put him up there with Laver, Pancho Gonzales, with Tilden, with whomever you want to put up there. It’s impossible to say if he’s the best of all time. If he wins the French, I’d probably put him there, but at this point, I think it’s unlikely.”

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