ATP TENNIS CHAMPIONS TOUR KNOKKE – XAVIER “X-MAN” MALISSE BEATS PETE SAMPRAS; AND PETE SAMPRAS SAYS FEDERER WILL WIN AN 18TH SLAM & PETE TALKS TO DAVID LAW ABOUT ALL THE TOP PLAYERS & HOW HE WOULD COACH

Written by: Staff on 16th August 2015

ATP TENNIS CHAMPIONS TOUR KNOKKE - XAVIER "X-MAN" MALISSE BEATS PETE SAMPRAS; AND PETE SAMPRAS SAYS FEDERER WILL WIN AN 18TH SLAM & PETE TALKS TO DAVID LAW ABOUT ALL THE TOP PLAYERS & HOW HE WOULD COACH |

Photo by @ATPChampsTour via Twitter.

OPTIMA OPEN

ATP CHAMPIONS TOUR

14-16 AUGUST, 2015

KNOKKE, BELGIUM

MALISSE EDGES SAMPRAS; SAMPRAS INTERVIEW: ‘FEDERER WILL WIN 18TH SLAM’

Belgium’s Xavier Malisse retained his Optima Open title with a hard-fought victory after saving one match point in a thrilling final against Pete Sampras at the Royal Zoute Tennis Club in Knokke-Heist.

Home favourite Malisse fought back from a set down to overcome 14-time Grand Slam champion Sampras 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 13-11 in one hour and 26 minutes.

Malisse said: “It was a great honour. He is a legend in tennis. To have him in Belgium, I think the people really appreciated it. I definitely did. It’s always fun. I think the most important thing is that we played a good match.”

Sampras thrilled the packed crowd with a serve-and-volley masterclass during a tight first set which went to a tiebreak. A forehand return winner on his first set point sealed it for the American.

Sampras looked on course for the title when he immediately went a break up at 2-0 in the second set, but the age gap – Sampras at the age of 44 is nine years older than Malisse – then began to show and Malisse broke serve twice before levelling the match at one set all.

Malisse had three match points at 9-6 in the deciding match tiebreak but could not convert, dumping a slam-dunk smash into the net on his third. A fourth match point was also missed before Sampras had one of his own but hit wide. Malisse then finally claimed victory on his fifth match point with a stunning backhand winner down the line.

Photo by @xmalissesite via Twitter.

Sampras said: “I mixed it up and it was pretty successful, but he is a very tough guy to serve and volley against because he has got a great return. In the middle of the second set I just lost my serve. I don’t serve and volley much when I practice and it is tougher on the body as you get older, just the stopping, starting and the twisting.”

Mansour Bahrami and Yannick Noah picked up their second doubles victory of the weekend together as they beat Pat Cash and Henri Leconte 8-7 (7-5).

Thomas Enqvist then rounded off the weekend with an 8-5 victory against former world No. 1 Thomas Muster in the small final.

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

PETE SAMPRAS INTERVIEW – TALKING ROGER, RAFA, NOVAK, ANDY, SERENA

Pete Sampras believes Roger Federer can still win an eighteenth Grand Slam title despite turning 34 last week.

Federer will bid once again at the upcoming US Open in New York to end his long Grand Slam drought, the Swiss last winning a major title at Wimbledon in 2012.

Asked during an exclusive interview with The Tennis Podcast (listen – http://goo.gl/tnytjP) if Federer still had one last Grand Slam title left in him, Sampras said: “I do think there is. I think he’s playing well, he’s fit, he hits the ball great, he’s doing everything that he’s been doing for years.

“It is tougher as you get older and now Novak [Djokovic] and [Andy] Murray, they’re in their prime now.

“I think for Roger to win, things need to fall into place. I think if he has to play Murray, Djokovic, then Rafa in one week or back-to-back, it gets more difficult.

“Wimbledon I think is his best chance, but the US Open he’s won there five times, he knows what he’s doing. I think he’s got a good shot, but I think obviously Novak is the man to beat.”

Although 14-time Grand Slam champion Sampras feels Djokovic is the favourite for the final Grand Slam of the year, he believes Murray will provide a formidable challenge for the Serb on the hard courts of New York after securing his return to world No. 2 in Montreal.

Sampras said: “I think Andy is just right behind him. Murray’s on a hard court at the US Open, he’s won it there and he’s got to the final there, so he’ll be a contender.

“There’s a couple of dark horses, [Gael] Monfils seems like he plays well there if he can put it together. But I like Djokovic, Murray and Roger, I think those three are going to be in the last weekend and we’ll see what happens.”

One notable omission in that trio is Rafael Nadal, who has struggled for consistency this year and has dropped to No. 9 in the world rankings. Sampras has noticed how negative the 29-year-old Spaniard has become, but feels he can still recover and return to the top.

Sampras said: “I think he is still working hard. He is doing all the right things, he is just not playing as well. It just seems like anxiety is creeping in, he seems a little bit nervous, he’s hitting a lot of short balls, a little yippy at times and hopefully he just gets out of it somehow, just through winning some matches.

“Guys don’t fear him as much and it’s tough to play defence out there. Mentally and physically he’s been out there a while and it’s taking its toll.

“I think he’ll be fine but it’s not like Roger who can not play well and still win. I think Rafa if he’s not playing well he mentally gets negative and feels like he’s not as good and convinces himself that he’s not as good as he used to be.

“When I was struggling, I still felt I was like the best player in the world. When Rafa struggles, I think he feels like his career is over, just with some of the things he says. He’ll be fine, he’ll get back to where he once was.”

When Sampras – who turned 44 on Wednesday – won his last Grand Slam title at the 2002 US Open, Serena Williams won her fourth major in the women’s singles. Thirteen years later, Sampras is amazed that 33-year-old Williams is still so dominant that she is now bidding for the final part of a Calendar Grand Slam.

Sampras said: “It’s amazing and what a great achievement. The French Open I think was her biggest hurdle, she got that and she is full of confidence. But it will be different for her just because of the attention and the media attention.

“But when you are the best player in the world, you are the best player in the world, no matter what is going on. I wish her nothing but the best, and it would be great for tennis, great for American tennis, and I hope she does it.”

The Tennis Podcast on iTunes – http://goo.gl/v5BZxh

ATP Champions 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, Pete Sampras, Tennis, Xavier Malisse

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August 16, 2015 at 7:24 pm

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