His season already spinning in a maelstrom of losses, Pete Sampras has been dealt another dose of hard luck with an injury to his lower right back that threatens to force him out of Wimbledon on opening day Monday.
“Hopefully, he will be 100 percent,” his coach, Jose Higueras, said Sunday. “So, we’ll see.”
That’s as far as Higueras would commit himself. The injury apparently is not a disc problem but a strain under the ribs. An MRI revealed no structural damage to Sampras’ back.
Sampras did not make himself available to comment on the severity of the damage, but it is bad enough that he didn’t practice Sunday and asked to have his first-round match, scheduled as the ceremonial leadoff match on Centre Court, moved to Tuesday.
“Since we had already determined his half of the draw would play on Monday, we were unable to grant this particular request,” said tournament referee Alan Mills. He did move Sampras’ match against 1-13 British player Martin Lee to 4 p.m.
That will give Sampras about four more hours for treatment.
The injury occurred Saturday after Sampras was being stretched on a training table before an exhibition match in London. As he got off the table, he felt a pain just under his ribs. He immediately pulled out of the match.
The injury resurrected memories of Sampras’ back injury before the 1999 U.S. Open.
Sampras had been training two days before the Open with Gustavo Kuerten when he sustained a herniated disc in his lower back. He withdrew from the tournament and spent two months in rehabilitation.
It’s not the first time Sampras, a seven-time titlist here, has come to Wimbledon with physical problems.
He won Wimbledon in 1993 playing seven matches with a strained right shoulder and defeated Andre Agassi, Boris Becker and Jim Courier in the final three rounds.
In 2000, he received treatment on a severely bruised shin the entire fortnight and beat Patrick Rafter in the final. He hasn’t won a tournament since.
A back injury is particularly unforgiving on grass. Not only will Sampras feel discomfort when he serves, but there are more low shots to hit on grass than on any other surface.
In Sampras’ place, third-seeded Andre Agassi will open on Centre Court against Harel Levy of Israel. No. 2 seed Serena Williams will follow against Evie Dominikovic of Australia.
