Sampras Finds Motivation

Nearly everyone could leave Oklahoma City feeling better for the Davis Cup experience, despite its lousy timing, being shoehorned between the Winter Olympics and the NBA All-Star Game.

Mardy Fish won in his debut, hitting the clinching volley in his doubles match with James Blake. In addition to the doubles, Blake won the meaningless singles match on Sunday, whimsically called the dead rubber. Patrick McEnroe made the right moves, in winning his first World Group match as captain.

Andy Roddick won his two matches. And the Slovaks were able to get on their plane with more than their luggage, leaving with some dignity, having won four sets, four more than anticipated in a 5-0 first-round loss.

Even someone who defied fitting into the happy category, Todd Martin, could depart with an enhanced reputation. Martin was bypassed for the second consecutive time by McEnroe.

Instead of complaining, Martin took the high road. We already knew he was a class act but this hit a new level. He isn’t one of those guys who will say the right thing but pop off once the TV cameras shut down and notepads are closed.

But Pete Sampras may end up the biggest beneficiary. It won’t be known, of course, how this week will influence his 2002 season. He won a difficult four-setter against teenager Karol Beck, raising his level at the crucial time, losing only one point in the final two games.

More so, it was the chance to be appreciated. Elite men’s tennis is a foreign element here, with no tour events, and on local TV and radio there was the excited tone of: “Pete Sampras is in Oklahoma City for the first time.”

This week in Oklahoma City met his expectations. At 30, you take motivation where you can get it. He said the carefree attitudes of his young teammates was “really refreshing.”

“You definitely feel the pressure. It’s different than playing a normal tournament,” Sampras said. “Not saying these other tournaments don’t mean anything, but there’s a sense of urgency through the week. There’s a lot riding on these matches. Some of these events it’s tougher to get that enthusiasm. This week, you have to have that enthusiasm, you have to have that sense of urgency. I felt it plenty [Friday]. It just means something. At this point in my career, it has to be beneficial.”

At one point, it looked as though Sampras had played his last Davis Cup match for the United States in Los Angeles in April 2000. He was uncomfortable in the brief John McEnroe era. Sampras won’t fire verbal blasts, but it’s unlikely he would have returned if Patrick McEnroe had not replaced John as captain.

“Hard to say,” he said. “To say it nicely, it was bad communication. We got off to a bad start. Pat, I know a bit better. He’s a little bit more my personality, much more low-key.

“Patrick has a good personality for this job. He can mold his personality around the young guys, the old guys. He’s got no ego. It’s not about Pat McEnroe. He’s just here to help in any way he can, very selfless. A true mark of what a good captain should be.”

Sampras smiled, slyly,

“They’re brothers, but still very different,” he said.

The American flag continued to replace the Nike swoosh on his shirt. In Australia, Sampras made news when he criticized the shoe and clothing manufacturer for a lack of respect, that is, monetary respect.

But, surprise, the rare swoosh of controversy has not ended all communication.

“I’m still negotiating with Nike,” Sampras said. “There are some other possibilities. If it’s Nike or someone else, I’ll be wearing something reasonably soon.”

Apparently, the Sampras building on the Nike campus in Oregon has not been torn down or renamed Club Roger Federer.

“As of right now, it still has some employees,” Sampras said.

Cup Quips

Roddick isn’t reluctant to throw out a one-liner or two, even on the court. Friday, a cell phone went off between his first and second serve during a tense fourth-set tiebreaker against Jan Kroslak. Roddick stepped back and muttered, “Tell them I said hello.”

Sunday, he imitated Sampras’ patented sky-hook smash. “You know, he’s the master of that shot and he’s pretty much the inventor of it, so I had to give him his due props for that one,” Roddick said

In the second-set tiebreaker, Roddick, upset with a line call, appealed to chair umpire John Blom: “I mean, do you get paid by the hour?”

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

(text of infobox not included)