PETE SAMPRAS VS. XAVIER “X-MAN” MALISSE IN FINALS IN ATP TENNIS IN BELGIUM; SAMPRAS SAYS HE IS OPEN TO COACHING IN LOS ANGELES, AND “X” SAYS BELGIUM CAN GET THRU DAVIS CUP

Written by: Staff on 15th August 2015

PETE SAMPRAS VS. XAVIER "X-MAN" MALISSE IN FINALS IN ATP TENNIS IN BELGIUM; SAMPRAS SAYS HE IS OPEN TO COACHING IN LOS ANGELES, AND "X" SAYS BELGIUM CAN GET THRU DAVIS CUP |

OPTIMA OPEN

ATP CHAMPIONS TOUR

14-16 AUGUST, 2015

KNOKKE, BELGIUM

MALISSE ON FORM IN OPENER; BACKS BELGIUM TO REACH DAVIS CUP FINAL

Pete Sampras will go up against local favourite Xavier Malisse in a mouthwatering Optima Open final on Sunday at the Royal Zoute Tennis Club in Knokke-Heist.

Despite flying into Belgium the previous day, 44-year-old Sampras quickly got up to speed and beat Thomas Enqvist 6-4, 7-6(3) in a high-quality first semi-final.

Sampras said: “It’s nice to be here. I don’t travel too much, so it’s nice to see new areas around the world.

“All things considered, I felt pretty good. I just flew in last night and, as we all know, jet lag isn’t that easy, especially from the US. I thought we both played quite well, hit the ball good. It was a little bit breezy and cool which makes things tough.

“Tomorrow will be more difficult, playing Xavier who is much younger and fitter than I am. I will have my hands full with him.”

Unlike some of his former foes like Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg, Sampras is not at all enticed by a return to the tennis tour as a travelling coach. The 14-time Grand Slam champion is perfectly happy with life in Los Angeles, although he did not rule out the prospect of working with a player in his home city.

Sampras said: “I’ve been asked by a couple of players. I just don’t want to travel and be at these events for days and days and stay in hotel rooms for weeks on end. It just really is something I don’t want to do at the moment. If there is someone I could work with at home in LA, I could be open to that, but the travel on the road is not for me.”

Malisse, aged 35, later set up the contest the crowd were hoping for with a 6-3, 6-4 win against Thomas Muster. Sunday’s final will take place 17 years after Malisse famously played Sampras in his first ATP World Tour match, coming within two points of beating the American in Philadelphia in 1998.

Malisse said: “It will be awesome. Who doesn’t want to play Pete? It is a nice chance for Belgian people to see Sampras, so people that love tennis should definitely come out. I’m excited, it will be a good match. I played him in my first ever match on the ATP circuit, so it’s actually a lot of fun to play him 17 years later.”

“Great to see Xavier Malisse back in action at the Optima Open #tennis #optimaopen #knokke” – Photo by @misskrullie80 via Instagram.

Mansour Bahrami and Yannick Noah proved a hugely popular pairing with the Knokke-Heist crowd, beating Pat Cash and Henri Leconte 8-7 (7-5) in Saturday’s doubles match.

After the Optima Open, the ATP Champions Tour moves on to Mallorca (Spain), Seoul (South Korea), Monterrey (Mexico), Verona and Modena (Italy), before arriving in London (England) in December.

Order of Play: http://goo.gl/cxjXF3

Tour website: http://goo.gl/97fsq9

Twitter: http://goo.gl/3nnKs1

Facebook: http://goo.gl/Tecf2p

Calendar: http://goo.gl/luFBBJ

Optima Open website: http://goo.gl/WEXbh6

Topics: ATP Champions Tour, Knokke, Optima Open, Pete Sampras, Sports, Tennis News, Xavier Malisse

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10sBalls_com says:

August 15, 2015 at 6:43 pm

PETE SAMPRAS VS XAVIER MALISSE IN FINALS IN ATP TENNIS IN BELGIUM; SAMPRAS SAYS HE IS OPEN TO COACHING IN LOS ANGELES http://t.co/oxqdrhNscg
dusanVemic says:

August 15, 2015 at 6:52 pm

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corremari says:

August 15, 2015 at 6:56 pm

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