Sampras Plays Live on Web; Federer Says Davis Cup Can Wait

On Wednesday it was revealed that Sebastien Grosjean will possibly be scratched with a back injury.

"Sebastien injured his back on Sunday during a training session. He is recovering quickly but is still in trouble when serving," French coach Patrice Hagelauer told Reuters on Wednesday. "The final decision will be taken after a training session tomorrow morning (Thursday) and before the draw. We hope he will pass the test."

Without Grosjean the French will rely on underachiever Richard Gasquet, veteran Arnaud Clement, and doubles specialist Michael Llodra.

Safin holds a 2-0 career advantage over Gasquet, and 1-0 over Clement. Davydenko is 1-1 versus Gasquet, and 1-0 against Clement.

"We have a good chance of beating France because Marat is here," Davydenko told reporters. "I think the French are afraid of him, just by his very being here even if he does not play. They have all been beaten by him."

Federer Enjoys Well-Deserved Rest Entering Clay Season

Fresh off setting a handful of new ATP records, world No. 1 Roger Federer is enjoying the first of three weeks of down time before his claycourt campaign begins the week of April 17 at the Masters Series-Monte Carlo.

Last week at the Masters Series-Miami Federer brought his record to 28-1 on the year with his second consecutive NASDAQ-100 Open title. One underplayed stat was the Swiss became the first player ever to win the Masters Series events in Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back in consecutive years -- ho hum, just another Federer record.

The Swiss is now training to end his frustration at the French Open, seeking to join Andre Agassi and Rod Laver as the only players to win all four Grand Slam events in the Open Era.

Federer will for the first time in years play all three claycourt Masters Series events at Monte Carlo, Rome and Hamburg looking for that extra edge on the dirt entering Roland Garros, and says the extra events won't be a strain on his system.

"I think I know myself well enough now," Federer says on his French Open preparation. "I think the toughest part would be if I would be in the finals of Rome, because (back-to-back) Masters Series, that's never an easy thing to do, especially if they're so close to each other. I've really put my plan out that if I play well, I can handle it physically. If I'm not playing well, I can always take a wildcard here or there. I absolutely want to play all three Masters Series, especially this year. That's the big plan. Yes, I do believe the schedule is right."

The Australian Open title is already under his belt in 2006, and Federer's uber-legion of fans are already murmuring about the possibility of a rare grand slam sweep, but the Swiss says that is a long way off.

"The calendar slam is not the focus right now, but the other one (career slam) obviously is, because I already had -- I made three out of four," Federer said. "So it's one more to go but, I guess for me, the toughest one. I'm obviously already now focusing on the French, to a certain degree...It's obviously a big goal because I know what it would do to my career."

Federer says the next few weeks will be comprised of getting acclimated to the clay while also getting some down time.

"I'll get on clay, go to Monte Carlo early, and prepare there," Federer said. "Maybe have a few off days here and there."

The Swiss has put his country on the back-burner when it comes to Davis Cup, skipping this year's opening round which Switzerland lost, electing to rest for the Masters Series events. Federer says the priority right now is Slam titles and the No. 1 ranking, and Davis Cup can wait.

"For the rest of my career, (Davis Cup is) big," Federer said. "Right now, not so big. But I love Davis Cup, playing for my country. I represent it every day when I travel the world. But I can't have all goals, you know, winning Davis Cup, being No. 1, winning all Slams and all such things. So eventually it will be a big priority for me."

Ivanisevic Joins Senior Boston Field

Former Wimbledon champ Goran Ivanisevic has joined the field for the Outback Champions Series senior tour event in Boston for April 27-30, 2006, added to a cast that includes former world No. 1 players John McEnroe, Jim Courier and Mats Wilander, another former Wimbledon champion in Pat Cash, former French Open singles finalist Mikael Pernfors, former US Open and Australian Open finalist Todd Martin, and former US Davis Cup standout Aaron Krickstein.

"Goran Ivanisevic has been one of the most exciting personalities in tennis in the last 15 years," said Jon Venison, co-founding partner for Courier's InsideOut Sports and Entertainment. "We are thrilled to add him to the field in Boston where the indoor surface will certainly make him one of the favorites for the title."

It will be the 2006 senior tour debut for Ivanisevic who has been recovering from multiple injuries.

Each Outback event features $140,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $48,000.

"We want to be clear to the fans that the players take this very seriously and will be competing hard in every match," Courier said. "With the prize money and ranking points in every event, there is no doubt that these are tournaments, not exhibitions."

Boston will be the second stop on the 2006 Outback Champions Series circuit. Naples, Fla., hosted the kick-off event March 10-13 with Courier defeating former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash in the championship match. Outback Champions Series events will also be staged in 2006 in Charlotte, N.C. (Sept. 20-24), Memphis (Oct. 4-8) and Houston (Nov. 8-12).

2006 TENNIS-X.COM COMBINED SENIOR RANKINGS
(Top 10, through week of April 2)

1T. Jim Courier (400 pts.)
1T. Marcelo Rios (400)
3. Pat Cash (310)
4. Cedric Pioline (250)
5T. Richard Krajicek (200)
5T. John McEnroe (200)
7T. Thomas Muster (125)
7T. Mikael Pernfors (125)
9T. Sergi Bruguera (80)
9T. Aaron Krickstein (80)
9T. Henri Leconte (80)
9T. Mats Wilander (80)

The Tennis-X.com Combined Senior Rankings is a cumulative ranking for senior tour players combining results from the competing Merrill Lynch Tour of Champions in Europe, and the Outback Champions Series in the U.S.

Rios Gets Top Billing at Senior Hong Kong

Marcelo Rios, co-No. 1 ranked on the senior tour with Jim Courier after raising the title at Doha in his debut, takes to the court again this week in Hong Kong at the Merrill Lynch Tour of Champions "Chevalier Champions" stop.

Rios is paired in the round robin Group B with Cedric Pioline who he defeated in the Doha final, Mark Woodforde and Anders Jarryd, while Group A is comprised of Thomas Muster, Pat Cash, Henri Leconte and Mark Kratzmann.

"For sure I'm confident," Rios said. "After winning a tournament you are going to the next playing much better with a lot of confidence. I'm looking forward to doing well in Hong Kong. I want to try and win every tournament I play. There will be different players in Hong Kong like Mark Woodforde, Anders Jarryd, and it's going to be tough."

Thursday's scheduled in Hong Kong is Muster vs. Kratzmann, Pioline vs. Woodforde, Cash vs. Leconte, and Jarryd vs. Rios.


Sampras Live on Web, Says Ready to Wow in Exo

Pete Sampras, the most accomplished player in the Open Era, will set another record Thursday night when he takes part in a live web broadcast of his exhibition match at River Oaks against Robby Ginepri.

The match is not being shown on TV but will be webcast exclusively on USTA.com. The webcast will begin with pre-match interviews with both players starting at 8:15pm (EST), with play beginning at at 8:30 p.m.

Speculation is running rampant as to Sampras' physical condition, how he will perform with his new Roger Federer-model Wilson nCode, if his serve-and-volley game can overcome the slow River Oaks claycourts, and how he will measure up against the power of Ginepri.

It has been more than 3-1/2 years since Sampras was last seen on court, ending his storied career by beating Andre Agassi in the final of the 2002 US Open. While Sampras went out "on top," an extended slump prior to his final slam title saw the American lose in the first or second match in 10 of his final 15 tour events.

The 34-year-old also plans to play in the World Team Tennis league this summer, but says a tour-level comeback is not in the cards.

"I miss playing the game. I miss the majors. I miss competing," Sampras said. "But to play at the level I used to play is a whole other animal. I've done that, and I know what it takes. Me playing a little tennis this year is something I can control; there isn't any pressure. I can relax and have a little fun."

In a conference call earlier this week Sampras riffed on topics such as the video replay challenge (which he approves of) and the lack of depth on the WTA Tour that has helped the comeback of Martina Hingis.

"I'm not surprised that she is able to come back," Sampras said of the 25-year-old Hingis. "When she had stopped, she was quite young so she had some fuel left in the tank. The ladies' game isn't quite so deep, so with her game and her drive now, I think it's not surprising to me that she's able to have a very healthy return."

Sampras also said today's men's game lacks variety with the near-death of the serve and volley game, and insinuated that with many of today's men's players staying on the baseline even on grass, he'd be mowing down the competition during the lawn season.

"I do miss the serve and volley game, but there's not really anyone that serves and volleys naturally," Sampras said. "You have big servers that might come in, but the art of serve and volleying is pretty much extinct. You have some guys that do a little bit of it, but across the board everyone stays back and just trades groundies. I miss the contrast. I miss one guy coming in and the other guy defending. I think that's the best tennis. But that's just a sign of the times. It's just the kind of direction it was at Wimbledon the last couple years. The part of the court that's worn out is the baseline, not the net. So if I'd be playing today, I'd be licking my chops on grass. But it's just the way it is. It's unfortunate, but that's where the sport is going -- or it has been."

While Sampras says a return to the tour is out of the question, many feel that, knowing the Sampras ego, if the American finds success in exhibition play, an eventual appearance on the senior tour is also a likelihood.

Sampras has diplomatically failed to bristle over the last six months when asked about Roger Federer being on the road to all-time greatness. Asked about Federer again earlier this week, and the comments by Sergi Bruguera that the Swiss is "10 times better than Sampras," the American again showed he is not ready to hand Federer the all-time great reigns -- while subtly getting in a plug for himself.

"No question Federer has the best game we've seen in a long time, but I felt like I did okay myself," Sampras said. "Sergi has been around, he knows the game, but we all have our different opinions."

Once Sampras gets a few exo matches under his belt, we'll see just how violently the competitive juices start churning. One preview came from his thoughts on possibly facing John McEnroe this summer in World Team Tennis play.

"I'm not really worried about playing anybody," Sampras said, commenting on the "swagger" he's bringing as the record six-time year-end No. 1 player. "There's always swagger when I step on the tennis court. Even when I'm practicing, you know, I still want to "wow" myself. It's something that I'm still pretty good at..."

Let the webcast begin.

Richard Vach is a senior writer for Tennis-X.com, was recently awarded "Best Hard News" story writer for 2005 by the United States Tennis Writers Association, and can currently be seen on The Tennis Channel's "Tennis Insiders: Super Insiders" episodes.

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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Pete Sampras on tonight's exhibition match against Robby Ginepri at River Oaks: "I'm looking forward to playing again in front of people instead of my son, so I'm going to be a little more nervous. I'm excited to play Robby, who's a good, young American player, and I'm excited that it will be available online."...Max "The Beast" Mirnyi speaking with The Australian on politics: "Generally speaking, Americans are not making too many friends around the world. Belarus has been the target for some time and something to write about. Now that the elections are finished and the old president has been re-elected, there will be new things to talk about. I don't really get too disturbed or pay too much attention to it."...Lleyton Hewitt seen training for the Davis Cup in Australia in Rafael Nadal-style capris...From tennis writer Jon Wertheim: "So a few hours after he wins his fourth event of the year, (Roger) Federer flies to New York, where he is appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund. Beyond the pro forma posing for photo ops, he delivers a five-minute address that went well beyond "Thanks, this is a real honor." He shakes hands with U.N. dignitaries, meets Kofi Annan and meets with the press. The next day he travels to Bristol, Conn., to tape SportsCenter ads. If there's a more desirable athlete in sports to market globally, I'd sure like to know who it is."...Kim Clijsters writing on her website: "Brian and I are engaged! we don't have a specific date for the marriage yet, but we'll think about it later this year. But most likely this should be somewhere next year. Meanwhile, I have been home for a couple of days already. But the Miami jet lag isn't over yet: awake at night and getting sleepy daytime. It is getting better now and I sure hope to be in my usual rhythm again soon. I start training on clay from next week onwards, as a preparation for the Fed Cup against Russia on 22 and 23 April. With (Elena) Dementieva and (Nadia) Petrova the matches will be difficult, so training has to be hard! After the Fed Cup I'll be travelling to Warsaw and this time daddy joins me again, it has been a while and I'm really looking forward to it. After that I might join the tournament in Rome before heading for the French Open." -- Is that daddy as in father or daddy as in Brian?...Martina Hingis and Patty Schnyder are blowing off the next round of Fed Cup for Switzerland...Brit captain Jeremy Bates on Andy Murray being ready for this weekend's Davis Cup: "Andy is better than he was. He has been out on the court and had a hit for the first time since last Thursday. We had the results of the blood test and it is a pretty severe bacterial infection which he is in the process of fighting off. He is getting stronger by the day and this is the first time he's been able to hit a few balls. He's been moving around but we don't know what the state of his ankle is because he's not been running around and playing sets but I don't think there is any visible signs of a problem with his ankle. The more important issue is his health. It's a question of how quickly he can recover. It's harder with an illness than with an injury. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize he hasn't played a lot of tennis and the issues will revolve around how he feels, his energy levels and his capability to play five sets on Friday. If he can't play Friday, can he play Saturday? If he can't play Saturday, can he play Sunday? Can he play all the way through? We'll have a conversation about that on Thursday."...Marcelo Rios on Chile's chances vs. the U.S. this weekend on grass: "Chile have two great players that can beat anybody. I think they are going to make a great match and if they win it's going to be a really great thing for Chile. I didn't have a chance to play really big matches for Chile -- when I played I was alone, or I didn't have a partner to help us improve. I would love to have had these two players -- Nicolas Massu and Fernando Gonzalez -- in the team with me when I was playing. Winning Davis Cup was one of the things I never did. Playing the United States -- (James) Blake and (Andy) Roddick -- on grass, is difficult, but whenever Massu and Gonzalez play together in a team they do pretty well. They can do well, but it's a lot to ask for them to win."...Henri Leconte on France facing Russia in Davis Cup: "Russia play well and we just received news that Sebastien Grosjean hurt his back -- we don't know if he's going to be able to play. If not it will be Gasquet and we'll see who else, but it's difficult for Guy Forget. The best thing is that we play in France on a fast court and we will see what happens. Without Sebastien though it will be very tough. (Richard) Gasquet seems better in Davis Cup at the moment than on the regular tour. Sometimes you are better at Davis Cup because it pumps you up, sometimes it works the other way and there is too much pressure."...Belarus' Vladimir "The Vladiator" Voltchkov has gotten Lleyton Hewitt's hackles up ahead of their David Cup meeting by saying the former No. 1-ranked Aussie has no weapons: "Well, his ranking's not going to hurt me either," Hewitt told reporters. "He is a lot better player than what his ranking is, there's no doubt about that, but he's still got to go out there and see what happens tomorrow. It's fine him talkin' the talk first. We've got to see how he performs tomorrow."