USA: LLEYTON HEWITT TALKS ABOUT HIS FIRST GRAND SLAM U.S OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT VICTORY

Record ID: 647481

  • Title: USA: LLEYTON HEWITT TALKS ABOUT HIS FIRST GRAND SLAM U.S OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT VICTORY
  • Date: 9th September 2001
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 9, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE VIEW OF PRESS CONFERENCE 2. SOUNDBITE (English) LLEYTON HEWITT SAYING "It's something that you'll never forget. That's for sure and obviously I had a few nerves going in there playing possibly the greatest ever to live. In probably my biggest ever match in tennis. I got off to a pretty good start and then got broken, broke back and just sort of settled the nerves. That was pretty good." 3. CUTAWAY CAMERAS 4. SOUNDBITE (English) HEWITT SAYING "He's a great champion, I think when everyone was starting to write him off especially after he lost in the round of 16 to Federer at Wimbledon I think he's come out and proved the point over the last two weeks, that he's capable of winning grand slams still, that's for sure. I've still got as much respect for him as a player on and off the court, you know as I've ever had." 5. CLOSE UP, TROPHY 6. WIDE VIEW OF PETE SAMPRAS AT PRESS CONFERENCE 7. SOUNDBITE (English) PETE SAMPRAS SAYING "I felt fine, physically I was fresh and ready to go I just ran into another hot player just like last year. I tried everything to try and figure it out and nothing seemed to work. And he returned and passed as well as anyone I think I've ever played, but I felt fine." 8. CUTAWAY OF REPORTERS 9. SOUNDBITE (English) SAMPRAS SAYING "In the last year I just got overpowered in a way and today I just got outplayed. Its disappointing because, like I said, I worked hard to get to the final, and its just tough put into words right now how I feel just getting off the court but I'm sure as time goes I'll reflect and feel good about what I did here, but only one name gets on that trophy and its not mine and that's the harsh reality of it." 10. NEWS CONFERENCE Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 24th September 2001 13:00
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  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVAA5CQE0W20QW5DACLPHAMFBI43
  • Story Text: Following his victory at the US Open, Lleyton Hewitt, a
    20-year-old Australian playing in his first Grand Slam final
    described his game as "pretty good".



    Lleyton Hewitt, a 20 year old Australian playing his
    first Grand Slam tournament spoke to reporters on Sunday
    (September 9, 2001) after his victory over four time winner
    Pete Sampras.

    "It's something that you'll never forget. That's for sure
    and obviously I had a few nerves going in there playing
    possibly the greatest ever to live. In probably my biggest
    ever match in tennis. I got off to a pretty good start and
    then got broken, broke back and just sort of settled the
    nerves. That was pretty good," Hewitt said.

    Lleyton Hewitt put an end to Sampras' remarkable revival
    tournament and denied him the opportunity to stretch his
    record for Grand Slams to 14 and tie Hall of Famer Jimmy
    Connors' Open Era record of five U.S. Open titles, but he
    praised Sampras.

    "He's a great champion, I think when everyone was starting
    to write him off especially after he lost in the round of 16
    to Federer at Wimbledon I think he's come out and proved the
    point over the last two weeks, that he's capable of winning
    grand slams still, that's for sure. I've still got as much
    respect for him as a player on and off the court, you know as
    I've ever had," he added.

    Sampras, who lost in the final for the second consecutive
    year, also could have set a record by winning at least one
    Grand Slam event in nine consecutive years. He will share the
    mark with another Hall of Famer, Bjorn Borg.

    "I felt fine, physically I was fresh and ready to go I
    just ran into another hot player just like last year. I tried
    everything to try and figure it out and nothing seemed to
    work. And he returned and passed as well as anyone I think
    I've ever played, but I felt fine," Sampras said.

    Sampras put together a record-setting run to the final,
    becoming the first player in U.S. Open history to beat three
    former champions. But just as he did last year in being
    hammered by Marat Safin of Russia, Sampras looked slow and
    confused.

    "In the last year I just got overpowered in a way and
    today I just got outplayed. Its disappointing because, like
    I said, I worked hard to get to the final, and its just tough
    put into words right now how I feel just getting off the court
    but I'm sure as time goes I'll reflect and feel good about
    what I did here, but only one name gets on that trophy and its
    not mine and that's the harsh reality of it."
    It was Sampras' fourth Grand Slam final loss. He also was
    beaten by Stefan Edberg in the 1992 U.S. Open and by Agassi in
    the 1995 Australian Open.


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