Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Sampras decides to end career BY HOWARD FENDRICH THE ASSOCIATE* CRESS NEW YORK — Pete Sampras ' kept saying it, over and over, al most as though he wanted to make sure it sounded right: “I’m done, 100 percent done.” The owner of a record 14 Grand Slam singles titles delivered a formal farewell to tennis Monday in a news conference at the U.S. Open, not quite one year since he won the tournament in what turned out to be his final match. He withdrew from event after event this season, but he never came out and said he would quit. Sampras made up his mind to stop for good around-the time he decided not to play at Wimbledon. “The process is now over. I’m 100 percent retired,” Sampras said, his voice cracking. “I’m at peace with it. It’s time to call it a career.” Sampras, who’s 32 and became a father in November, leaves with 64 singles titles, including seven at Wimbledon, five at the U.S. Open, and two at the Australian Open. “I will never sit here and say I’m the greatest ever. I’ve done what I’ve done in the game. I’ve won a number of majors—I think that’s kind of the answer to ev erything,” said Sampras, wearing a black suit and gray shirt on the first day of this year’s U.S. Open. The only gap on an otherwise impeccable record was never win ning the French Open, the only major played on clay, a slower surface not conducive to his serve-and-volley style. Sampras’ best showing at Roland Garros was reaching the 1996 semifinals. “It’s a disappointment not win ning in Paris, but I don’t think about it much,” Sampras said. He finished at No. 1 in the rank ings a record six years (1993-98) and held the top spot a total of 286 weeks, another record. Sampras tops the career earnings list with $43 million. “Staying at No. 1 for six consec utive years is an incredibly de manding thing,” said Jim Courier, a rival of Sampras’ in the 1990s and now a TV analyst. “He was able to stay healthy and stay hungry and continue to win at a very competitive time. He was playing against some tremen dous all-time champions and still dominating,” Courier said. Sampras forever will be asso ciated with Wimbledon, where his skills translated perfectly to grass, and where he went 56-1 while win ning seven titles in eight years. Still, the National Tennis Center made a perfect setting for his goodbye: He won his first and - : ——-———:-!-1 last major titles at the U.S. Open. In 1990, Sampras beat Agassi in the final to become, at 19, the youngest champion in tourna ment history. Last year, he beat — guess who? — Agassi to be come, at 31, the oldest Open cham pion since 1970. Last year’s title was particular ly sweet, given that Sampras hadn’t won any tournament in more than two years. The man he beat in the third round, 1997 final ist Greg Rusedski, called Sampras “a step and a half slow” — but Sampras just kept winning en route to what on Monday he called the happiest moment of his career. “I’m not retiring because I’m married or I have a son. I’m retir ing because I have nothing to prove to myself. I’ve always had challenges ahead of me, either staying No. 1 or winning majors,” Sampras said. “My biggest chal lenge was last year — the chal lenge of winning one more. Once I did that, I felt I really had climbed a tall mountain.” He did have plenty of dramat ic moments between the lines, of course, crying at the 1995 Australian Open after learning that his coach, Tim Gullikson, was diagnosed with cancer, and vomiting on court because of de hydration during a five-set victo ry over Alex Corretja in the 1996 U.S. Open quarterfinals. “I’ll miss playing. I’ll miss com peting. I’ll miss going out in finals at Wimbledon or here, in front of 20,000 people. That rush, that ex citement,” Sampras said. “Just the joy of playing the game that I will miss.” Interested in taking The Gamecock’s Sports Challenge? *>%.. If you can beat the editors, you’ll win a free Gamecock T-Shirt. Send in your picks to gamecocksports@hotmail.com by 2 p.m. Thursday. We'll select ONE person at random to be our reader of the week, whose picks will appear in Friday’s issue. This week’s games: 11 Georgia at Clemson Louisville at Kentucky 21 Southern California at 6 Auburn Oregon at Mississippi St. 17 Washington at 2 Ohio State 24 Oklahoma St. at Nebraska Rankings are from The 23 Colorado St. at Colorado ' 21 Wisconsin at West Virginia Associated Press. Fresno State at 12 Tennessee Louisiana-Lafayette at USC ♦ FOR TIE-BREAKING PURPOSES, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR SCORE FOR THE LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE-USC GAME. AND DON’T FORGET TO INCLUDE YOUR NAME! CLUB CORNER Ultimate Frisbee Club The Ultimate Frisbee Club began practicing Aug. 26. Practices will be on Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Hand Middle School. Anyone and everyone, especially freshmen and females, are encouraged to attend. Please contact Gopal Chakrabarti at 479-0715 or Bryan Vasser at vasser@mailbox.sc.edu. Rides to Hand Middle can be arranged. Fencing Club The Fencing Club beginner’s class starts today at the Blatt P.E. Center in room 306B. Anyone in terested can attend. The class runs from 6 to 8 p.m. For more information, contact club presi dent Lee Snelgrove at Leebert52@earthlink.net. BRIEFLY Rominger finishes fifth in Scotland USC men’s golfer Martin Rominger finished fifth at the European Amateur in Narin, Scotland this week. Rominger, a native of Pontresine, Switzerland finished the event with a final score of 285 in the four-round event. Rominger, a returning junior, was second on the team last season in stroke av erage. Former USC track stars shine in Paris Several former USC track ath letes have performed well at the IAFF World Championships in Paris. Former USC track star Tonique Williams won the semi final heat in the 400-meter on Monday and advanced to the fi nals, which will be held today, with a time of 50.43. She is a na tive of the Bahamas and is a two time All-American. Williams won the 400-meter SEC Championship in 1998 and com peted in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Another former Gamecock, Demetria Washington, placed fourth in the same event with a time of 51.31 but did not advance to the finals. Aleen Bailey, a native of Jamaica and NCAA Champion in the 100-meter and 200-meter, advanced to the quarterfinals of the 200-meter with a time of 22.98. Two other former Carolina standouts, Lisa Misipeka and Dawn Ellerbe, failed to qualify in the women’s hammer throw semifinals. The IAAF World Championships are being tele vised Wednesday from 2:30-4:30 p.m. on ESPN2. Swim team hires new assistant coach The USC swimming and div- > ing team has hired Matthew McVittie as assistant swimming coach for the men’s and wom en’s teams. McVittie has been a head coach for the Kamehameha Swim Club in Honolulu, Hawaii, for the past three years, where his team won three-straight state champi onships. McVittie, a native of Chelsea, Mich., attended Florida State University where he was coached by current USC head coach Don Gibb. McVittie was a four-year All-American and All ACC two years. “I’m very excited to be a part of the Gamecock family and coaching staff, and I see a very bright future in this swim pro gram,” McVittie said. % www.dailygamecock.com test kept I secret I west dt the visla --—! r = i ■I [_i TOES: WEDS: O CORK Q POOL nwpi«gg«H karaoke B mm *• taoM* you are under the age of 21, it is illegal to buy alcoholic beverages. All ABC regulations enforced FOOTBALL Student Ticket Distribution Season starts early, so get yourself ready Student Distribution Schedule Louisiana * Lafayette Virginia Alabama - Birmingham Kentucky LSU Vanderbilt Florida Aug. 21,22, 25,26,27 r Aug. 25,26,27 \ J „{fgB" Sept. 2, 3,4 \ Sept. 2, 3,4,15,16,17 \ Sept. 15,16,17 \ Oct. 6, 7, 8 \ Oct. 6, 7, 8,15,16 ' Oct. 15,16, 20, 21, 22 Oct. 20, 21, 22 i Nov. 10,11,12 F 1^--1 V Sign up for Clemson Lottery Nov. 10,11,12 Clemson Lottery Pick Up Nov. 17,18,19 U Students must have your I.D. Card with you to get into the Stadium with a Student Ticket. The Student Section is located in the North Section of the Stadium Sections 23 - 34. For more complete information about student tickets, pick up a copy of the Student Football Information Book at the Russell House lobby information Desk. Student Tickets will be distributed at the Russell House, room 205 9am - 4pm Students are not guaranteed a student ticket to each game, only r( I Handicapped or disabled students can get assistance by calling r the right to a ticket as long as student tickets are available. 777-6742.