Another tango in France

By Chrys Kefalas CPKSports Editor-in-Chief

He's claimed 63 titles over his career, finished the year ranked first six times in a row, and won a record 13th Grand Slam championship at Wimbledon last year. However, one thing has eluded Pete Sampras: The French Open.

Sampras visits, once again, the slow clay courts of Roland Garros for the 12th time in his career, his best showing was the semi-final in 1996, when he lost to eventual champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov. For the past three year, Sampras has not been beyond the second round in Paris. In 2000, he went down in round one to Mark Philippoussis in a five-setter.

On red clay, Sampras' least favorite surface, he's only 2-3 this year. In Rome, he bowed out in the first-round to Israeli Harel Levy (world ranking 41) and, in Hamburg, he lost to Alex Calatrava, (world ranking 47) also in the first round.

Few believe Sampras, 29, can win at the French Open. Some expected yet another first-round exit. That didn't happen.

"I'm the dark horse here," admitted the number five seed.

Sampras has not won a tournament since Wimbledon last summer, but noted that he was encouraged by his own performance in the World Team Cup.

"In the World Team Cup I won a couple of matches and that gave me some confidence. I feel mentally and physically fresh.

"I'm happy to be back in Paris, but I know that it's not going to be easy. There are a lot of guys who are in with a chance. Kuerten and Ferraro are the guys to beat.

"They've performed well all season ... but you never know," said Sampras.

In the first round, Sampras faced Cedric Kauffmann, who arrived through qualifying. In a tight match, Sampras won 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 8-6 and heads for a second round match with either clay court specialist Galo Blanco or Rainer Schuttler, both pesky European baseliners. If he succeeds there, he faces a quarterfinal against third-seeded Andre Agassi, winner in 1999 and the ATP points leader. Agassi will bid for his eighth Grand Slam title and his fifth since 1999.

Not the easiest draw, but for Sampras nothing about the French is easy.

He knows the difficulty in adjusting a big game to a surface that begs for patience and endurance. Movement and controlling points, hardly problems on grass, are big obstacles for him there.

It's a difficult journey ahead, trying to win seven matches at Roland Garros. Yet, should Sampras overcome the enormous odds and this becomes the breakthrough year, then it would be the crowning achievement that could establish him as the game's all-time best by the detractors who acknowledge his excellence but deny him that honor by pointing out his past failures at the French Open.

Here we go, again.

Article courtesy of CPKSports.com