The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Sampras to play in an over-30 tour

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Wednesday, Jan 31, 2007
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Sampras to play in an over-30 tour

To make his Outback Champions Series debut in May

RETURN OF THE KING: Pete Sampras is all set to entertain fans by taking to the tennis courts again in May. — Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images

WASHINGTON: Pete Sampras will play tournament tennis for the first time since 2002, competing on a tour for players over 30, The Associated Press has learned.

Sampras's Outback Champions Series debut, set to come off between May 2 and 6 at Boston University's Agganis Arena, will be announced formally soon. The 35-year-old Sampras will appear in at least one other event on the tour in 2007.

"This is kind of my first dive into the waters, so to speak, to see how I feel and play a match I really want to win," Sampras, owner of a record 14 Grand Slam singles titles, said in a telephone interview with the AP.

"I still love the sport — I practice two, three times a week — but I don't miss the grind. This is a time to catch up with old competitors, old friends, and see if I still have a few things left in the bag," he said.

It's the latest step in a gradual return to a sport Sampras dominated for the better part of a decade, then pretty much disappeared from after winning his last match, against Andre Agassi in the U.S. Open final in September 2002. — AP

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