Sampras Seeking Energy at ‘Home’

One was tempted to take a nap after listening to a worn-out Pete Sampras on a conference call.

He sounded so tired, it made almost everyone weary.

Perhaps Sampras will find some spirit, some solace today on Centre Court, where the defending champion will play Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia in the opening round of Wimbledon.

“I feel come 2 o’clock Monday, it’s kind of like coming back home,” Sampras said.

That hasn’t been the case elsewhere this year. The court that used to seem like his home, has been invaded by the others. As Sampras acknowledges, his performance this year has not been up to his lofty standards.

“It’s like expecting [Michael] Jordan to score 40 points every game,” said Sampras, who would like to set up a meeting with Jordan to “pick his brain.”

“I’m not going to win every match I play, every tournament. Looking at the big picture, I’m 26 and I’m going to be playing this game for a lot of years. This is just something to get through.”

It all starts today against Hrbaty, who is No. 47 in the most recent ATP rankings. Sampras is familiar with the 20-year-old, having trailed, 4-2, in the fifth set against him before rallying in the fourth round of the 1997 Australian Open.

Hrbaty lost in the first round of Wimbledon last year.

“[He] probably should have won the match [in Australia],” Sampras said. “He’s probably not as comfortable on the grass, [but he] serves pretty well.”

The most intriguing first-round match on the men’s side is between seventh-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia and erratic, hard-serving Mark Philippoussis.

Several of the men are ailing. Mal Washington [back] withdrew several days ago, and fourth-seeded Greg Rusedski of England [left ankle] and ninth-seeded Richard Krajicek of the Netherlands [knee] are questionable.

A few of the women are plagued by nagging injuries too. French Open champion Arantxa Sanchez Vicario of Spain, needed treatment on her right leg during her loss to Jana Novotna in the Eastbourne final. Serena Williams was bothered because of a nagging leg injury at Eastbourne, but maintained she would be fine and is set to play Laura Golarsa of Italy today on Court 2.

And 12th-seeded Anna Kournikova of Russia sprained her right thumb when she tumbled on the grass in a quarterfinal victory against Steffi Graf at Eastbourne. Kournikova withdrew from the next round to seek treatment. Fourth-seeded Graf opens against Gala Leon Garcia of Spain on Centre Court after the Sampras match.

A notable aspect of the women’s draw is the grouping of teenagers in the same quarter. Serena Williams may play another 16-year-old, Mirjana Lucic, in the second round; and surviving that, face 17-year-old Kournikova. Venus Williams, who struggled on grass in a loss to Natasha Zvereva last week, could play her sister in the fourth round.

Defending champion Martina Hingis will play Lisa Raymond in the first round on Tuesday in a potentially tricky opener. But Raymond has had an unimpressive grass-court season, including a second-round loss at Birmingham to Kerry-Anne Guse of Australia. Guse, the 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 winner, was ranked 81st at the time.

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Wimbledon Facts

* When: Begins today. Women’s final on July 4. Men’s final on July 5.

* Where: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon, England.

* Defending champions: Men--Pete Sampras; Women--Martina Hingis.

* Top-seeded men: 1. Pete Sampras, 2. Marcelo Rios, 3. Petr Korda, 4. Greg Rusedski, 5. Carlos Moya.

* Top-seeded women: 1. Martina Hingis, 2. Lindsay Davenport, 3. Jana Novotna, 4. Steffi Graf, 5. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.

* TV: Today-Friday, HBO, 6 a.m.-noon; Saturday, NBC, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Sunday, off day (highlights from earlier matches, NBC, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.).