article by Nicola Pucci
Just mentioning his name and reading his palmares, You get goosebumps when you talk about Pete Sampras. Because if it is true that only the advent of the big three, i.e. Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, deprived him of the record of Slam tournaments put on the board, 14, as a corollary of 64 victories on the circuit, to which to add even 286 weeks as world number 1, we are remembering a champion who, if he is not elevated to the rank of greatest of all time, we are missing very little.
And yet… and yet there is some reservation about a phenomenon with the “f” capitalized, not assumed as such, that is his pedigree on clay, a surface that has never seen him go beyond a semi-final at Roland-Garros (1996), where Federer himself at least won in 2009, adding four other finals, all of which he lost to Nadal. Sampras, in fact, on the “red” he boasts only three titles, a first in Kitzbuhel in 1992, when he defeated the Argentine Alberto Mancini in the final, and a third in Atlanta in 1998, overcoming the Australian Jason Stoltenberg in the decisive moment. In between, and let’s talk about the May 1994, here is the most prestigious exploit on clay, in the magnificent setting of the Foro Italico in Rome.
Effectively the 1994 season started off on the right foot for the American champion, who triumphed at the Australian Open in January in the final against Todd Martin, 7-6 6-4 6-4, e continued with the double in Indian Wells and Miami and the one in the away match in Japan, in Osaka and Tokyo. And if Wimbledon and the US Open seem like they could be his favorite conquest territory, in anticipation of a possible Grand Slam it is necessary to break the Roland-Garros spell, ergo passing through a good preparation on earth. AND Rome truly represents the most authoritative test bed before the Parisian appointment.
Sampras appears in Rome for the fourth time in his careerafter losing in the second round in 1991 (2-6 6-4 5-7 with the “dry” Fabrice Santoro), having reached the quarterfinals in 1992 (ousted by Petr Korda) and improved in 1993 (semifinalist against Goran Ivanisevic, who beat him in straight sets 6-7 2-6). And this time, inspired as never before on a surface not too congenial to his immense talent, he acts as an absolute protagonist.
The Roman draw, obviously, credits Sampras with the first seed, followed in the list of favorites by the German Michael Stich, by that Jim Courier, former world number 1, who dominated the last two editions beating, respectively, Carlos Costa and Ivanisevic, with the Croatian who deserves the fourth place as standard. And if Chang, Medvedev, Muster and Becker complete the top eight seeding, the Italian chances of being able to compete, if not for success, at least for a good placing are really limited. With Renzo Furlan, number 37 in the world, and Andrea Gaudenzi, number 45, aiming to do better than the previous year, when one surrendered to Sampras on his debut, the other went out in the second round against Chang .
Sampras comes into play against Aaron Kricksteinnumber 30 in the world, winning in two sets, 6-1 7-6, only to be challenged in the third set by the Spaniard Alex Corretja, number 39 in the ranking, finally defeated 6-3 3-6 6-3. And if “Pistol Pete” is true to his rank also surpassing the Russian Andrej Chesnokovnumber 33 in the world, 7-6 6-3, that’s it in the quarter-finals the challenge is against Gaudenzi, author of an unblemished run which saw him eliminate Agenor and Siemerink in two sets and take advantage of the withdrawal of “teammate” Tomas Muster (4-1 in the first set), with whom he shares the coach, Ronnie Leitgeb.
At this stage of the competition Stich, Courier and Ivanisevic also arrive, as well as Beckerwhile Chang, beaten by the Dutch Eltingh, Medvedev, dominated by the Czech Slava Dosedel, number 51 in the world, and Muster, and the same Dosedel gives a big hand to Sampras, also eliminating the title holder in a comeback, 1-6 6-3 6-4, before stopping against Pete, who after defeating Gaudenzi, 6-3 7-5, earns the placed in the final with a clear 6-1 6-2 against the tennis player from Prerov.
At the bottom of the board an injury to Stich denies the Foro Italico crowd the eagerly awaited German quarter-final derby against Beckerand the champion from Leimen, looking for his first career title on the “rosso“, he seizes the opportunity to reach the decisive moment of the tournament in his turn, overcoming Ivanisevic’s resistance in the semi-final, beaten in two sets, 6-2 7-5.
And so on May 15, 1994, on a day of splendid sunshine and with packed stands, Sampras and Becker, the two kings of Wimbledon, compete for the title of the Italian Internationals which would give prestige to two already legendary careers, both oriented towards not deviating from their technical creed, serve-and-volley and let the best win.
In truth, there really isn’t a match, Sampras gives the Roman public the best performance of his career on clayas Becker will have the opportunity to say in the press conference “I think he’s invincible now, he’s flying around the pitch and playing like no one has ever done before against me. He is playing like the best of the best“, e more than a challenge between two, it is a real tennis performance.
It ends 6-1 6-2 6-2it was the year 1994, and it was the time Pete Sampras, as sumptuous as ever on earth, deserved the title “emperor of Rome”.