"Not only will they be remembered by Grand Slam titles but how many times they help their country win"- When Pete Sampras won Davis Cup final for USA
Pete Sampras is a legendary tennis player indeed, having won 14 Grand Slam titles and capturing the hearts of many. However, what some may not be aware of is his pivotal role in helping Team USA secure the 1995 Davis Cup title.
Sampras had a banner year in 1995, winning two Majors - the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open. He and Andre Agassi were each other's biggest rivals throughout that year.
While Agassi's progress in the season was hampered by injuries after his compatriot defeated him in the finals at Flushing Meadows, Pete Sampras went on to exhibit his brilliance at the Davis Cup in December.
It was the tournament's 84th edition, with the finals taking place in Moscow, Russia. The showdown unfolded on indoor clay at Moscow's Olympic Stadium, with Team USA pitted against Team Russia.
The American had his reasons not to do well because of his aversion to the surface, as well as the fact that the Russian team boasted two claycourt experts in Andrei Chesnokov and Yevgeny Kafelnikov.
However, with an Agassi-less Team USA and Jim Courier in poor form, it was Pete Sampras who silenced the naysayers and unexpectedly led his team to Davis Cup glory.
Sampras, who was 24 at the time, defeated Chesnokov in the rubber, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4, giving his nation a 1-0 lead. He then defeated Kafelnikov in the fourth rubber 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(4).
Between these two matches, he and Todd Martin won the doubles rubber 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 over Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Andrei Olhovskiy. Chesnokov then won the final dead rubber against Jim Courier, and Team USA won the title with a final score of 3-2, all thanks to Pete Sampras's genius.
Tom Gullikson, captain of the US Davis Cup team that year, stated in a post-match interview that it was the best clay court tennis he had ever seen.
"I've never seen better clay court tennis," he said. "The combination of power and patience and precision serving. It was flawless tennis."
Referring to Pete Sampras, he added that great players are not solely remembered for their Major tally, but also for their significant contributions to their country's Davis Cup title wins.
"The great players have a sense of history," Gullikson said. "When the great players go down in the history books, not only will they be remembered by Grand Slam singles titles but how many times did they help their country win the Davis Cup. It's a special thing, it's a team thing."
Tom Gullikson's twin brother Tim coached Pete Sampras to the World No. 1 ranking. Tim unfortunately died of brain cancer in May 1996, at the age of 44. The brothers had a successful doubles career, winning 15 top-level titles together.
"Best clay court match I've played" - Pete Sampras after his Davis Cup 1995 exploits
Pete Sampras sat down for a conversation with the media after his team's title win at the 1995 Davis Cup. It was the United States' 31st title in the tournament overall.
The American said that while the Russians expected him to be a weak link on the slow red clay; he proved them wrong when it counted. He added that his victory over Yevgeny Kafelnikov in straight sets was the best clay-court match he had ever played.
"The Russians were looking at [me] as being kind of the weak link on the slow red clay [but] I certainly played some good tennis when I had to," Pete Sampras said.
"To play on my worst surface against very tough opponents and a very tough crowd, I think today's match was probably my best clay court match I've played," he added.
Pete Sampras officially retired from professional tennis in 2003 after winning his final Grand Slam title at the 2002 US Open.
However, he later competed on the seniors tour and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007.