Pete Sampras celebrates after defeating France's Cedric Pioline in the men's singles final on Center Court at Wimbledon July 6, 1997. Sampras earned his fourth Wimbledon title in 1997, but he hasn't won a Grand Slam since. The struggling American will try to snap a yearlong slump beginning Monday, June 22, 1998, on his favorite stage, the grass at the All England Club. ASSOCIATED PRESS

Slump-ridden Sampras still favored

Web posted June 21, 1998

Associated Press

WIMBLEDON, England -- He tends to hang his head, and lately with good reason. In the battle against burnout, Pete Sampras is losing.

When Wimbledon begins Monday, the four-time champion must try to shake a lengthy slump. He has failed to reach the semifinals in the past three Grand Slams and briefly lost the No. 1 ranking to Marcelo Rios before regaining it.

At 26, Sampras admits he lacks motivation and needs a vacation. He watches 35-year-old Michael Jordan hold yet another championship trophy, and like the rest of the world, Sampras marvels.

``That's one person whose advice I'd love to get,'' he said. ``I'm trying to get it set up to play golf with him and pick his brain for a little bit and see how he has stayed motivated through the years.''

The golf date must wait. The game Monday will be tennis, and the opponent will be Dominik Hrabty, a Slovakian ranked 47th with little experience on grass.

They'll play the first Centre Court match at 2 p.m., weather permitting. Rain plagued last year's tournament, and frequent showers in the past month have officials fearing a repeat.

There's another concern: While tennis struggles to increase its popularity, the sport's most hallowed event may be overshadowed by the World Cup in France.

Sampras has other worries.

Because he has won Wimbledon four of the past five years, oddsmakers and opponents agree he remains the man to beat. London bookies made the American a 6-4 favorite.

``This year has been somewhat of a slump for him, but Wimbledon is certainly a place where he could dig out of it,'' Andre Agassi said.

``Maybe he doesn't have the energy for another year here, but I don't get the feeling he's too concerned about it. That leads me to believe either he doesn't care, or he's about to play a lot better.''

Burnout isn't an issue for 17-year-old Martina Hingis, an 8-11 favorite to repeat as the women's champion.

The top-ranked Hingis caught a break because three teen-age rivals -- Venus Williams, Serena Williams and Anna Kournikova -- are grouped together in another part of the draw. At least two of them will be eliminated before the quarterfinals.

In the other half of the bracket, two veterans staging comebacks hope to reach the final. Injury-plagued seven-time champion Steffi Graf plans to play her first Grand Slam in more than a year, while Monica Seles seeks an encore to her surprising second-place showing at the French Open.

The men's field, by contrast, suffers from a dearth of depth. Boris Becker is absent, Rios hates grass and Agassi last won a Wimbledon match three years ago. Greg Rusedski and Tim Henman, each hoping to become the first Brit to win the men's title since 1936, must play carrying the weight of a nation's expectations.

In the past, grass has been a cure-all for any Sampras slump.

``It's much more instinctive tennis, and that's why he has been so successful,'' said his coach, Paul Annacone.

``Pete plays better when it's instinctive and he doesn't have a lot of time to think about stuff. You hit spots with your serve, stick volleys and take advantage of second-serve return points. It's not rocket science.''

Because Sampras is best on grass, a Wimbledon defeat would surely spark speculation that he's washed up. He said he hasn't considered the possibility and wants to play at least three more years, then admitted he could be content with 10 major titles.

``I feel like I'm in the middle of my career, but sure, I could live with 10,'' he said. ``In the modern game, that's more than anyone has won.''

That's why Sampras remains the favorite.