truetifoso
Rookie
I'm in L.A. watching a Champions Series exhibition match between Sampras and Courier. Pete is using a blacked out racket, black strings, and no "W" stencil. I thought he had a lifetime contract with Wilson.
Pete's racquet
- Thread starter truetifoso
- Start date
PeterFig
Professional
He's been using a babolat for a while now... First it was a regular one but lately it's been blacked out... Maybe he is working on a new contract to endorse a new frame whether a signature one or just something other than the babolat he's been using. There are a few threads here already about the frame he's been using lately.
I even purchased the babolat he is using to try last year
It's this one: http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Babolat_Pure_Storm_Tour_GT/descpageRCBAB-BPSTGT.html
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Fedace
Banned
i think he had issues with Babolat pure storm which he had been using. It had too much power for him. Probably Babolat is working on stiffer Vincent like babolat racket that has low power.
Also i heard babolat is working on very low powered Poly that Pete will like.
PeterFig
Professional
Not sure where you got this "info" but Pete is still using the babolat. It's just blacked out.
westpac690
Rookie
You people are so naive. Pete is using a Wilson paintjob Jack Kramer wood, PBJ model made at the factory with Pygmies in the Rocky Mountains.
DeShaun
Banned
Pete seemed to enjoy ripping groundstrokes left and right from his baseline the other night. He pummeled more than a few in ways that cannot be done without poly, w/almost a baseball bat swing, himself looking exhilarated each time. He is tremendously fit and powerful and seems as closely attached to taking huge cuts at the ball as ever, and so, a very low powered poly should suit his game well.
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Cup8489
G.O.A.T.
Fedace, your name should be Fediot.
Stiffer gives more power, not less, and he's still using the Pure Storm, its just blacked out. Stop acting like you're stupid
ben123
Professional
what kind of pure storm? is it gt? is it tour or normal?
Fedace
Banned
looks like the new pure storm racket. the one that Jack Sock is using. must be a big change for him. maybe he can come back to ATP tour with that new racket.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
You cant tell which Pure Storm he is using the are the same mold. The Pure Control even shares the same mold. Pete can't come back with the Pure storm. He lost Safin a couple of weeks go in China 6-3, 6-4. Safin was using the Prestige Classic 600 to do it.
Fedace
Banned
Pete was off that day. Federer himself admitted that he can't return Pete's serve when he is serving well.
joe sch
Legend
True but when Safin is on, he is almost unbeatable, its just not anywhere near as often as Sampras. Maybe thats not soo different in retirement especially at this point. I think this also says something for the pc600, still a weapon today.
VGP
Legend
Great rackets are just that, great.
There was a thread that got deleted about Safin "still" using the PC600 that immediately got diverted into what Sampras is using.
I've been saying the whole "Pete's using a bigger head" issue is countered by his choice of using a full Babolat RPM blast stringjob. He's properly stringing in the mid to upper 60s in tension compared to a low to mid 70s natural gut bed like he used to in the Pro Staff Midsize. When he used Federer's N90s and kPS88 he was in-between those with the gut/poly hybrid. It seems Sampras is adjusting his racket to his strings, but his overall weight and balance seems to be consistent over 30 years.
As for Safin, he hasn't changed his frames, just his strings and he's still a pretty good player.
Why is it that the fact that Safin (with "small" PC600) still beat Sampras (using a new "big" racket) wasn't harped on by the pudits?
People love to extrapolate from a statistical n of 1, right?
Federer beat Sampras one time on tour and would "dominate" him
Federer once said that he went from an 85 to 90 because he "shanked" with the 85
Sampras once said that he wished he used a bigger racket on tour especially at the French
I was glad to see these guys play again.
There was a thread that got deleted about Safin "still" using the PC600 that immediately got diverted into what Sampras is using.
I've been saying the whole "Pete's using a bigger head" issue is countered by his choice of using a full Babolat RPM blast stringjob. He's properly stringing in the mid to upper 60s in tension compared to a low to mid 70s natural gut bed like he used to in the Pro Staff Midsize. When he used Federer's N90s and kPS88 he was in-between those with the gut/poly hybrid. It seems Sampras is adjusting his racket to his strings, but his overall weight and balance seems to be consistent over 30 years.
As for Safin, he hasn't changed his frames, just his strings and he's still a pretty good player.
Why is it that the fact that Safin (with "small" PC600) still beat Sampras (using a new "big" racket) wasn't harped on by the pudits?
People love to extrapolate from a statistical n of 1, right?
Federer beat Sampras one time on tour and would "dominate" him
Federer once said that he went from an 85 to 90 because he "shanked" with the 85
Sampras once said that he wished he used a bigger racket on tour especially at the French
I was glad to see these guys play again.
dgoran
Hall of Fame
U guys do realize that all exos are fixed, right... and they are there just to monkeyclown and entertain the audience so we can have a good time.
It is a given that visitor to player's or ex players country will let the home player win.
Safin won in Russia Against Sampras
Guga won in Brazil against Aggassi
Fed beat rafa in Basel
Rafa Beat Fed in Spain
etc... you get the picture.
It is a given that visitor to player's or ex players country will let the home player win.
Safin won in Russia Against Sampras
Guga won in Brazil against Aggassi
Fed beat rafa in Basel
Rafa Beat Fed in Spain
etc... you get the picture.
VGP
Legend
I get it.
But, egos come into play. Especially on neutral ground matches, or when it comes to retired/active player matchups.
If you read in McEnroe's autobiography when he played Chang after the 1996 USO final in an exo, he was very proud of himself for beating a world #2, or when he beat Agassi after he won the 1994 USO. Even recently in WTT he was trying his best to beat Roddick in singles.
McEnroe might be an exception, but I still think deep down these guys would still prefer to win.
Federer beat Sampras at Madison Square Garden in the US. Ego and reputation had to be huge. Federer was the #1 player. Do you think he wanted to lose to a guy 10 years older than him who took 4 years off the game? Do you think Sampras wanted to show everyone he still had it?
You can argue that the the scoreline could be scripted, but I don't thing Federer would let it get as close as Sampras serving for it in the third and then winning in a tiebreak.
Exos are for fun and entertainment, but sometimes ego gets in the way and things can get competitive.
But, egos come into play. Especially on neutral ground matches, or when it comes to retired/active player matchups.
If you read in McEnroe's autobiography when he played Chang after the 1996 USO final in an exo, he was very proud of himself for beating a world #2, or when he beat Agassi after he won the 1994 USO. Even recently in WTT he was trying his best to beat Roddick in singles.
McEnroe might be an exception, but I still think deep down these guys would still prefer to win.
Federer beat Sampras at Madison Square Garden in the US. Ego and reputation had to be huge. Federer was the #1 player. Do you think he wanted to lose to a guy 10 years older than him who took 4 years off the game? Do you think Sampras wanted to show everyone he still had it?
You can argue that the the scoreline could be scripted, but I don't thing Federer would let it get as close as Sampras serving for it in the third and then winning in a tiebreak.
Exos are for fun and entertainment, but sometimes ego gets in the way and things can get competitive.
PeterFig
Professional
While these one-on-one exo's may be 'fixed' at some level, I think the Champions Series matches are a different beast. Having now watched one in person I can attest that some of these guys take it quite seriously. The Chang / Courier semi in particular was very very competitive and you could tell Courier was playing at 110% trying to get back into the match when we went down a late break. Sampras was the only one on a bit of cruise control, but I think that was in part to the fact that he knew his game was just too big for the others to handle.
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CDestroyer
Professional
I agree the Champions Series is try to win at all costs. Maybe Safin might not try as hard as he can but jees he just retired last year. Pretty pathetic really.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Don't forget about how angry Agassi got when Sampras beat him easily in a EXO the played. After that they stopped talking to each other again.
BreakPoint
Bionic Poster
Sampras has never had a lifetime contract with Wilson. In fact, for some of his career, he didn't even have a contract with Wilson at all. Wilson didn't want to pay Sampras for using the PS 6.0 85, but he kept using it anyway because he loved the racquet.
AFAIK, Federer is the only pro to ever have a lifetime contract with Wilson.
In fact, I can only think of 3 pros to ever have a lifetime contract with a racquet company:
Federer with Wilson
Agassi with Head
Sharapova with Prince
That's it.
Fedace
Banned
Rafa with Babolat. that is as good as lifetime contract right there. and Sharapova is using Head racket not Prince.
BreakPoint
Bionic Poster
Nadal DOES NOT have a lifetime contract with Babolat. A lifetime contract never needs to be renewed like Nadal's does every few years. That's the whole point of a lifetime contract. It's good for your entire life.
Sharapova was able to negotiate out of her lifetime contract with Prince. I don't think she has a lifetime contract with Head.
Oh but it isn't a lifetime contract for Rafa, yes well noticed she now uses a head frame, one would imagine that any lifetime contract would have stipulations where it could be terminated by either side.
Sanavan
Rookie
I found it here: http://twitpic.com/6r1w1w
