TENNIS / JULIE CART : Sampras Learning to Deal With Stress

Pete Sampras is regrouping on many levels: His coach is seriously ill and isn’t likely to be to be on tour with Sampras again soon. His fragile body took a huge pounding over two weeks at last month’s Australian Open. He’s getting used to a new coach/hitting partner. His No. 1 ranking, which he has held since Sept. 13, 1993, is in jeopardy after Andre Agassi beat him in the Australian Open final.

Life is now much more complicated for Sampras, who has been smacked in the face with reality. The death of Sampras’ friend Vitas Gerulaitis and the collapse of his coach, Tim Gullikson, during the Australian Open conspired to emotionally ambush Sampras, so much that he cried on court during a match against Jim Courier.

Interestingly, the traumatic events themselves have helped Sampras deal with the stress they caused and bring him outside his narrow and safe tennis shell.

“I’ve gone through a lot with Tim,” Sampras said in a telephone interview from a tournament in Memphis. “He’s helped me out with my game, but he’s also a close friend, really, about the closest (person) to me. To see him hospitalized, that was tough. I’m an introverted person, I keep my emotions in, pretty much. But on the court, I just couldn’t stop thinking about him. The whole thing broke my heart. I had this mental picture of him lying in the hospital. Not knowing what was going to happen to him.”

Gullikson has been hospitalized in Chicago and last week was found to have a small brain tumor. Sampras, who will play in the Newsweek Champions Cup March 6 at Indian Wells, said tests this week will determine the best course of action for Gullikson, who has previously suffered from two minor strokes.

“The whole thing just put everything in perspective for me,” Sampras said. “Without your health, what else is there? As far as his coming back, we’re going to play that by ear. I told him, ‘You have to do what’s best for your health and your life. If you say you can’t travel for six months, don’t do it.’ But, knowing Tim, he’ll want to travel.”

Meantime, Sampras has been working with tour veteran Paul Annacone, who hit with Sampras at the Australian Open after Gullikson returned to the United States.

“Paul was one of the first guys who talked to me when I turned pro at 16. He took me under his wing. He gave me advice. He’s just a good guy,” Sampras said. “I really needed someone to be hang out with me, I need someone to run interference. We’re hitting together. He’s doing some scouting, but not really coaching. I’m not going to switch to a two-handed backhand or anything. But if he sees something, he’ll tell me.”

If he’s very lucky, Sampras will come out of this period in his life a better person. Even if he is No.2.

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Did the women’s tour do the right thing last week in declining Tampax’s sponsorship offer and its greatly-needed $10 million? Tour officials conceded that the deal was rejected not for business reasons, but because of the ‘negative image’ associated with feminine hygiene products.

It’s incredible that the women’s tennis tour, run by women, would be squeamish about any association with Tampax. By admitting there is a ‘negative image’ associated with the products, didn’t the tour stigmatize its own constituency?

Officials were absolutely correct when they envisioned a future of wisecracks and jokes had they adopted Tampax as a title sponsor. That surely would have happened. But for how long? Wouldn’t everyone eventually find another topic to ridicule?

Interesting how the tour that had no trouble justifying more than a decade of sponsorship by a cigarette manufacturer says Tampax has a bad image.

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Notes

While the women’s tour might be having trouble finding an acceptable sponsor, local tournaments have recently been enriched. State Farm insurance will become the title sponsor for next year’s Evert Cup. This year’s edition will be held at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort beginning Feb. 27. The Manhattan Beach tournament, previously sponsored by Virginia Slims, will become the Acura Classic in time for this year’s tournament, which is scheduled for Aug. 7-13 at Manhattan Country Club...L. Straight Clark, a former U.S. Davis Cup player, died last week from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was 70. Clark was raised in Pasadena and was the state junior champion. He was graduated from USC, where he played on the tennis team. Ranked as high as fifth nationally in singles, he played on the Davis Cup team in 1952 and 1953. After retiring from the tour, he managed the Claremont Tennis Club and was a teaching pro at the Laguna Niguel Racquet Club....The Easter Bowl junior tennis championships has moved from its longtime home in Florida to the Rivera Resort and Racquet Club in Palm Springs. The premier American junior tournament will run from April 9-15.. .Three Southern California junior players have been named to the U.S. Tennis Assn. national team. Twin brothers Bob and Mike Bryan of Camarillo and Kevin Kim of Fullerton are part of the national team that will take part in international tournaments.