MELBOURNE, Australia -- Pete Sampras battled to
victory against Czech Bohdan Ulihrach at the Australian Open on
Wednesday and then admitted his decision to limit the number of
tournaments he plays has helped his game if not his pocket.
|  | | American Pete Sampras was forced into a fouth set with Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic during their match Wednesday. Sampras won 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-5. |
Sampras won 7-6 7-6 4-6 7-5 in three hours to set up a third
round meeting with Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela.
The American's desire to extend his domination of Grand Slam
tennis has seen the former world number one gradually cut back
on the tournaments he has entered over the last five years.
The 29-year-old explained that his need to concentrate on
the four majors has meant he has failed to compete in the full
complement of nine Masters Series tournaments a season.
As a result, Sampras, who has secured more than $41 million
in prize money in his 12-year career, has missed out on
end-of-year bonuses handed down by the game's governing body,
the Association of Tennis Professionals.
Sampras, seeded three in Melbourne, said: "If I'm honest, I
guess I would have lost around $7 million over the last few
years for not competing in every tournament.
"But everyone knows that I am concentrating on the Grand
Slams and making sure my body is in the best of shape for those
events.
"I will play in about five or six of the Masters Series
again this season, although I intend to play more on clay this
year."
Sampras, the winner of a record 13 Grand Slam titles, has
won seven Wimbledons, four U.S. Opens and two Australian Open
titles but never the clay court French Open.
Moreover, discounting Wimbledon, he has not won a Grand Slam
tournament at the other three majors for four years -- the last
occasion being his Australian Open triumph in 1997.
"I would be happy to keep winning Wimbledon, although I
admit it would be nice to win another one, as well," he said.
Working hard
Sampras was made to work extremely hard for his third round
berth at the Australian Open.
Ulihrach had won two of his previous five meetings with
Sampras before their latest encounter on the new show court.
After the American had secured the first two sets on
tiebreaks, Ulihrach again raised his game to give Sampras
problems and force a fourth set by taking the third 6-4.
But Sampras hit back and, despite missing one match point on
Uhlirach's serve at 5-4, he finished off his dogged opponent
with his second match point.
"I feel sore and I am looking forward to a day off on
Thursday," Sampras said.
"Bohdan was playing some really good tennis, so you have to
give him credit. I didn't feel like I was playing badly.
"Every time I have stepped on court for the last eight or
nine years, I have felt like all my opponents have raised their
game because it was me they were playing.
"So it was good to pass the latest test -- although
physically, it is not necessarily a good thing to be pushed hard
on these courts early in a Grand Slam. The hard courts here have
notoriously been tough on my body in the past."
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