Sampras aching for shorter matches after winning two marathons

While the 29-year-old third seed is far from ancient by any measurable standard, even his professional fitness is subject to the demands of an unforgiving Rebound Ace tennis court and the stress and strain of coming through for a pair of long, drawn-out victories at the first Grand Slam of the season. The American thankfully had a day off Thursday before tackling Argentine Juan Chela in the third round.

Sampras has battled to four-set wins over Karol Kucera in the first round and managed to defeat the world's 57th-best player Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic, twice a winner over the Californian, in the second. With more than six hours of tennis on his odometre, Sampras is consumed by one refreshing thought: "I'm looking forward to a day off."

The American who took most of the autumn off after the U.S. Open to get married and just stay away from the game, added: "It's just general soreness. I need to give my body a rest before Friday. These two guys I've played have made me work very hard, just playing at a high level." While he said only last week that he would play on until the desire left him, Sampras is making a conscious effort to limit his schedule.

But the four majors are the focus of his plans and it is at the Slams where the seven-time Wimbledon winner wants to peak. Not playing all of the nine obligatory Masters series ATP events last season cost him around 7 million dollars in potential bonus money. "I got hit in the pocketbook," he said. "But I said I wasn't going to play in the fall. I'm at a different stage of my career than where the ATP Tour is going. I'm not planning on playing all of the nine again, I'll probably play five."

Sampras added that the majors remain his goals: "I've played plenty of tennis, but in the later rounds you definitely want your legs, your back and everything to be feeling good. I hope to get over the soreness." For most of his career he's been a target, serving for years as world number 1. "When you're the man to beat - or one of the guys to beat - guys come out with nothing to lose and swing away. They're going to play at a high level."

If Sampras recovers his energies as expected, he's lining up for what his shaping up as a winner-take-all quarterfinal against 30-year-old rival Andre Agassi, the picture of freshness after a pair of in which he's lost a total of just eight games and spent a fraction of Sampras' time on court doing the hard years.

(la/dpa)