USA: PETE SAMPRAS TALKS ABOUT HIS DEFEAT OF ANDRE AGASSI IN THE U.S OPEN TENNIS COMPETITION

Record ID: 647525

  • Title: USA: PETE SAMPRAS TALKS ABOUT HIS DEFEAT OF ANDRE AGASSI IN THE U.S OPEN TENNIS COMPETITION
  • Date: 5th September 2001
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NY USA (SEPTEMBER 5, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. PETE SAMPRAS ENTERS PRESS CONFERENCE 2. REPORTERS LISTEN TO REMARKS 3. SOUNDBITE (English) PETE SAMPRAS SAYING: "Playing the very best in a night match at the U.S. Open, the atmosphere was phenomenal. It was so close, it really was. I had my chances early on, a tiebreaker in the first set. He came up with some good stuff. You know, I was kind of kicking myself a little bit after that first set. But kind of got it going a little bit and played a couple of tiebreakers. We were really holding on the serves pretty convincingly. I was serving well, he was serving well. It always comes down to a couple of points against Andre. He's an unbelievable player - the best player I've played in all the years." 4. WIDE VIEW OF ANDRE AGASSI AT PRESS CONFERENCE 5. SOUNDBITE (English) ANDRE AGASSI SAYING: 6. "When you lose one that close, it's difficult to really appreciate much about it, except the standard that I forced him to play. And that I feel good about. But you know, it just came down to the wire. I mean, how much closer can you get? So, it's a little disappointing." 7. REPORTERS LISTEN TO REMARKS 8. SOUNDBITE (English) ANDRE AGASSI SAYING: "It's a powerful moment out there. But I was trying to keep focused on the fact that I felt like I was a breaker away from possibly winning the match. I mean, fifth set, you go into that set with momentum, it's a big advantage. So, I was trying to concentrate on what I needed to do in that breaker. But yeah, it was a moment I wish I could have more time to appreciate." 9. MEDIA LISTENS TO VENUS WILLIAMS 10. SOUNDBITE (English) VENUS WILLIAMS SAYING: "My unforced errors count was just really high, I wasn't stringing together the points the way I'd like to exactly. I did a few good points and then I missed a few easy shots too. But in general, a win is a win and I'm happy to have won." 11. PHOTOGRAPHER FOCUSES IN 12. SOUNDBITE (English) KIM CLIJSTERS SAYING: "I can't complain about anything, I've had a great year. I've had very good Grand Slam results this year and I'm in another quarterfinal. I'm playing good here and also with my leg. I mean it was hard in the beginning to get through those first round matches because my level wasn't very good but I'm happy that I could play the quarterfinal on the center court against Venus whom I've never played before, that was a good experience for me." 13. WIDE OF JENNIFER CAPRIATI AT PRESS CONFERENCE 14. PHOTOGRAPHER 15. SOUNDBITE (English) JENNIFER CAPRIATI SAYING: "That's what I think we live for, the players, is just to get in that moment and really have a challenge there and be challenged to just see if we can live up to it and play some good tennis. I always look forward to playing her [Venus Williams], I look forward to playing all the top players just because it's just a real test and I know it's difficult, I mean that is the fun part also." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 20th September 2001 13:00
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  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, USA
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA5W6WLRH0IZMX9MC2AMYXMZT7M
  • Story Text: Pete Sampras defeated Andre Agassi in a tension-filled,
    electrifying battle of wills between Grand Slam greats on
    Wednesday night to advance to the U.S. Open semifinals while
    on the women's side Jennifer Capriati and Venus Williams are
    headed for a semifinal showdown after each had straight set
    victories earlier in the day.



    In one of the tightest matches imaginable, with
    sensationally high-quality tennis from two players with 20
    Grand Slam titles between them, the four-time champion took
    three of four tiebreaks, winning 6-7 7-6 7-6 7-6 to advance to
    the final four at Flushing Meadows for the eighth time in his
    glorious career.

    Break points were at a premium and service breaks
    non-existent as neither player dropped his serve in the three
    hour and 32 minute classic that ended well after midnight.

    Agassi, 31, was the second successive double U.S. Open
    champion gunned down by 30-year-old Sampras after his fourth
    round win over Patrick Rafter. And the 10th seed next must
    face third-seeded defending champion Marat Safin of Russia in
    Saturday's semifinals.

    Just to get to the final, Sampras will have to beat every
    player who has won the U.S. Open since he last lifted the
    trophy here in 1996 -- Rafter (1997, '98), Agassi (1999) and
    Safin (2000). "It was a pleasure playing tonight. The energy
    was phenomenal," said Sampras.

    In other action defending U.S. Open champion Marat Safin
    advanced on Wednesday to Saturday's semifinals with a 6-4 6-4
    6-2 victory over Argentine Mariano Zabaleta.

    Fourth seed Lleyton Hewitt made the most of a new day on
    Wednesday as he bounced back to win his suspended fourth round
    match against 16th seed Tommy Haas 3-6 7-6 6-4 6-2 on
    Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open.

    Germany's Haas had been leading 6-3 2-2 on Tuesday when the
    match, which had been delayed by rain, was suspended so it
    would not run into the scheduled night programme.


    Second seed Jennifer Capriati moved within two wins of her
    third Grand Slam title of the year with a 6-3 6-4
    quarter-final victory over eighth seed Amelie Mauresmo of
    France at the U.S. Open on Wednesday night.

    The Australian and French Open champion captured the last
    women's semifinal berth, advancing to the final four without
    losing a set in her first five matches.

    Defending champion Venus Williams bludgeoned her way into
    the semifinals battering fifth seed Kim Clijsters 6-3 6-1.

    The fourth seed started the match tentatively, surrendering
    her serve in the opening game, but did not drop it again for
    the remainder of the 65-minute encounter.

    Clijsters, who could only convert one of nine break
    points, failed to reach the level that took her to the French
    Open final in June. The Belgian posted 38 unforced errors and
    only came up with five outright winners in the match.

    Williams thumped 21 winners to capture victory in her
    first career meeting against Clijsters.


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