Martin beats Sampras March 6th

[jackcrawford]

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-onlin...54611845.shtml
Tough to explain this away for the "Pete could be top five" crowd.

[tennissavy]

Believe me, there are so many dopes who think that Federer was legitimately beaten by Sampras during the exhibitions. This loss to Martin, who sucks and his loss to Warburg, who can't beat wta juniors, shows that Sampras should not be playing in front of crowds.

[BounceHitBounceHit]

Originally Posted by jackcrawford

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-onlin...54611845.shtml
Tough to explain this away for the "Pete could be top five" crowd.

Pete is/was a great player, but probably NOT ATP Top 5 material right now. CC

[!Tym]

It's just one match, no big deal to me just as Sampras beating Fed once in a very blue moon isn't that big a deal either, just as Goran saying he just he hasn't played this good since winning Wimbledon years ago...then losing the next day easily to Pioline...is no big deal.

Old players aren't capable of "turning it on" whenever they want anymore, that's why they retired. Doesn't mean they can't still "turn back the clock" *once-in-a-while*.

The primary difference I think is that now when it happens (a good day), they don't really expect it, it kind of just happens. Like winning the lotto on your birthday, you think, "oh, cool, great."

[!Tym]

Originally Posted by tennissavy

Believe me, there are so many dopes who think that Federer was legitimately beaten by Sampras during the exhibitions. This loss to Martin, who sucks and his loss to Warburg, who can't beat wta juniors, shows that Sampras should not be playing in front of crowds.

Umm, Agassi lost to a Leach, a Jensen, and a Christian Vinck before during his athletic prime. Chang lost to a Pescosolido triangle during his prime. A mid-30s Agenor who had retired for several years before deciding to try a comeback as basically the oldest man on tour very nearly beat prime Kuerten at a masters series event. Michael Perfors out for awhile with injuries and by that time long in the tooth came from nowhere to win a masters tournie, including drubbing peak Courier along the way...then, he fell back into oblivion again. Byron Shelton beat Stich at Wimbledon. Felip Dewulf made it deep into the French two years in a row, when everyone thought the first time he did it HAD to have been a fluke. ALEX O'BRIEN for goodness sakes once won a masters title, if I remember correctly, and Harel Levy once came from nowhere to make the finals of a masters series slam against Safin only to return to nowhere forever after, ever since. Remember Roberto Carretero? Remember Takao Suzuki taking it to Federer? How about Alex Kim smashing Yevgeny Kafelnikov at his best tournament?

I seriously don't get why people act like a challenger level guy like Sam Warburg is some joke. He's sooo not. You have to realize that there are A LOT more world class players than we recognize out there. The guys you've heard about are a little better yes, but ONLY a smidgeon better compared to say a 4.5 vs. a 5.5. The gap is much smaller at the world class level, when everyone's practiced and honed and seasone their game for a small lifetime...*even Michael Joyce* during his athletic "prime" managed a few moments in the sun.

The thing is, it really only does take that little smidgeon extra to go from being "just one of the guys" (i.e. random and faceless), to being a known quantity.

...AND, this goes for slumping too.

Look at Vince Spadea, goes from career-high ecstasy level, I'm more confident than a kite on ice, level...too? From career high, top twenty to setting a record for losing the most matches in a row, THEN, he breaks that streak against Greg Rusedski of all people ON GRASS at Wimbledon...now how improbable is that? Yet *it happened*. It's an anomaly, but NOT impossibility.

As I said, VERY little separates at the world class level, and if that weren't the case you wouldn't see Vince Spade "The Storybook Ending" happen.

And to me, by the way, Todd Martin may be a lot of things (namely, slow), but he is STILL a known quantity and deserves respect for his capabilities in his OWN right. He is a former two-time grand slam finalist and that is NO joke, and that is NOT a fluke. He gave peak Agassi everything he could handle in a US Open final. I don't understand how losing to him can be used as an example of making you look bad. The man can play, and if at the top of his game, I would give him FAR more than a snowball's chance in heck of upsetting ANY so-called "big-time"/big-name player in history.

He would, however, definitely lose the majority. That he won once against Pete recently? So what? How is that different from their career, in which Martin also won *once-in-awhile* against Pete. You put players of this caliber together, and yes, believe it or not, the Washington Senators ARE more than capable of taking care of handling themselves, and yes, *winning* once-in-a-while.

[leonidas1982]

1. Good to see Pete with new apparel.
2. Is he using a PS 85 there?

[caesar66]

time for fanboys to start speculating!
someone mentioned wilson putting out a ps 85 replacement stick by the us open, maybe it will be what sampras' blackout racquet will be the basis (onsider the pot "stirred" )

[MEAC_ALLAMERICAN]

Is this the same Sampras that's coming back to win Wimbledon in June?

I am shocked.

[stormholloway]

Originally Posted by !Tym

Umm, Agassi lost to a Leach, a Jensen, and a Christian Vinck before during his athletic prime. Chang lost to a Pescosolido triangle during his prime. A mid-30s Agenor who had retired for several years before deciding to try a comeback as basically the oldest man on tour very nearly beat prime Kuerten at a masters series event. Michael Perfors out for awhile with injuries and by that time long in the tooth came from nowhere to win a masters tournie, including drubbing peak Courier along the way...then, he fell back into oblivion again. Byron Shelton beat Stich at Wimbledon. Felip Dewulf made it deep into the French two years in a row, when everyone thought the first time he did it HAD to have been a fluke. ALEX O'BRIEN for goodness sakes once won a masters title, if I remember correctly, and Harel Levy once came from nowhere to make the finals of a masters series slam against Safin only to return to nowhere forever after, ever since. Remember Roberto Carretero? Remember Takao Suzuki taking it to Federer? How about Alex Kim smashing Yevgeny Kafelnikov at his best tournament?

I seriously don't get why people act like a challenger level guy like Sam Warburg is some joke. He's sooo not. You have to realize that there are A LOT more world class players than we recognize out there. The guys you've heard about are a little better yes, but ONLY a smidgeon better compared to say a 4.5 vs. a 5.5. The gap is much smaller at the world class level, when everyone's practiced and honed and seasone their game for a small lifetime...*even Michael Joyce* during his athletic "prime" managed a few moments in the sun.

The thing is, it really only does take that little smidgeon extra to go from being "just one of the guys" (i.e. random and faceless), to being a known quantity.

...AND, this goes for slumping too.

Look at Vince Spadea, goes from career-high ecstasy level, I'm more confident than a kite on ice, level...too? From career high, top twenty to setting a record for losing the most matches in a row, THEN, he breaks that streak against Greg Rusedski of all people ON GRASS at Wimbledon...now how improbable is that? Yet *it happened*. It's an anomaly, but NOT impossibility.

As I said, VERY little separates at the world class level, and if that weren't the case you wouldn't see Vince Spade "The Storybook Ending" happen.

And to me, by the way, Todd Martin may be a lot of things (namely, slow), but he is STILL a known quantity and deserves respect for his capabilities in his OWN right. He is a former two-time grand slam finalist and that is NO joke, and that is NOT a fluke. He gave peak Agassi everything he could handle in a US Open final. I don't understand how losing to him can be used as an example of making you look bad. The man can play, and if at the top of his game, I would give him FAR more than a snowball's chance in heck of upsetting ANY so-called "big-time"/big-name player in history.

He would, however, definitely lose the majority. That he won once against Pete recently? So what? How is that different from their career, in which Martin also won *once-in-awhile* against Pete. You put players of this caliber together, and yes, believe it or not, the Washington Senators ARE more than capable of taking care of handling themselves, and yes, *winning* once-in-a-while.

Well thought out post. Martin is pretty dominant on the Champions Tour. Pete had never lost a match on the tour, however, until this loss to Martin (unless something happened I'm unaware of). It was a matter of time before Martin beat Pete.

Martin is no player to scoff at. He's very solid off of both sides and has a big serve.

[samster]

Nice shirt, Pete! (not really)

[BreakPoint]

The match against Martin was a practice match for Sampras for his preparation for the much more important Federer match at MSG on Monday. Pete even said so after his match against Haas at the SAP Open. Sampras wants to peak for the Federer match.

[Young Pete]

yes! sampras with the ps 85 st. vincent once again...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


a match made in heaven!!!!!!!!

[Leublu tennis]

Originally Posted by BreakPoint

The match against Martin was a practice match for Sampras for his preparation for the much more important Federer match at MSG on Monday. Pete even said so after his match against Haas at the SAP Open. Sampras wants to peak for the Federer match.

Good point. Thanks.

[stormholloway]

A practice match? That's even less serious than an exo.

[VGP]

Originally Posted by jackcrawford

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-onlin...54611845.shtml
Tough to explain this away for the "Pete could be top five" crowd.

Seems like Todd Martin could be top 10 again.....

[Trainer]

March 08, I watched Sampras beat Martin fairly easily in Columbus Ga.

I have to say, that was a pretty boring match. Maybe I had too high of expectations, but the points were so brief and saw lots of errors.

[jackcrawford]

Originally Posted by stormholloway

Martin is no player to scoff at. He's very solid off of both sides and has a big serve.

Sorry,Tennisavvy is right, Martin is a player to scoff at at the ATP level. He was ranked #145 when he was run off the tour in 2004 and four years of semi-retirement haven't improved things. If Pete still had any game left, he'd roll him 1 and 1 left handed. The above examples of top ATP tour players losing to lower-ranked ATP tour players is not relevant - here, we're talking about Pete losing or barely scraping out a win against a senior player who is a 6.5 at best.

[jorel]

Originally Posted by jackcrawford

Sorry,Tennisavvy is right, Martin is a player to scoff at at the ATP level. He was ranked #145 when he was run off the tour in 2004 and four years of semi-retirement haven't improved things. If Pete still had any game left, he'd roll him 1 and 1 left handed. The above examples of top ATP tour players losing to lower-ranked ATP tour players is not relevant - here, we're talking about Pete losing or barely scraping out a win against a senior player who is a 6.5 at best.

just something to keep in mind.. with these exhibition type matches, the players usually try to keep it close, so the fans get their money's worth.

whoever wins the Samp- Fed at MSG match,,, i bet the match will be pretty close

[lambielspins]

Originally Posted by !Tym

Umm, Agassi lost to a Leach, a Jensen, and a Christian Vinck before during his athletic prime.

Sure as long as you call a period an eventual 8-time slam champion goes into a tailspin that drops him to an embarassing #141 in the world before starting a comeback as his "athletic prime".

[deadlyedly]

I wouldn't pay too much attention to it. According to the link, Martin was playing on his hometown turf. Everyone knows who wins when someone plays an exo in front of their hometown fans...

"I was really pleased that, especially in front of my friends and neighbors ... that Pete was willing to play a third set and give them what they wanted," Martin said.