Bottom line shows net losses for Sampras

Two weeks shy of his 30th birthday, Pete Sampras finds himself in an unusual spot. He's not winning any tournaments these days.

Sampras hasn't hoisted a trophy since capturing his seventh Wimbledon crown last year. He ended an unimpressive week at the Mercedes–Benz Cup with a 6–4, 6–2 loss to Andre Agassi in Sunday's final.

Sampras is 22–12 this year and has gone 14 tournaments without winning – the longest since he won his first ATP title in the 34th event of his career in 1990.

"It's not as frustrating as if I hadn't done anything," he said. "There's no reason to panic because I've had a tough couple of months."

But Sampras has only a month left to salvage his year. The U.S. Open begins Aug. 27, and already his preparations have been disrupted.

As if his third straight loss to Agassi wasn't disappointing enough, Sampras withdrew Sunday from this week's tournament in Montreal, citing a left thigh injury, which he aggravated in Los Angeles.

"It's important to go into New York with confidence," he said. "It would've been nice to get the title I need. I need matches under my belt. Hopefully by the U.S. Open, I'll be peaking."

Injuries and shifting priorities have affected his play. He missed chunks of time last year and in 1999 with a variety of ailments, including a torn right hip muscle, strained left thigh, stiff back and tendinitis in his left shin and foot.

Sampras married actress Bridgette Wilson last September and didn't play a tournament for another 2 1/2 months. He won a career–low two titles playing in 13 tournaments last year, although one of them was another Wimbledon crown.

Adding to his woes were fourth–round losses in this year's Australian Open and Wimbledon – Grand Slam events to which Sampras attaches the highest priority.

Sampras says he still wants to win, even if he isn't as driven as he used to be.

"The enthusiasm might not be what it was when I was 22," said Sampras, who turns 30 on Aug. 12. "I want to win more today than I ever wanted to win. It's been a disappointing year, but I can turn it around very quickly in the next four weeks."

Agassi attributes his rival's struggles to injuries and tougher competition.

"He's still a strong presence on the court and he knows how to win," Agassi said. "He puts a lot of pressure on you at the right time still. It's just the overall health of playing the tennis that's required to be at your best. It's a delicate balance, especially the older you get."

Sampras has learned the hard way that putting winning above his health can be costly. Eager to extend his 25–match winning streak at Wimbledon in 1996, Sampras pushed himself to the brink and got sick during a loss in the quarterfinals to Richard Krajicek.

"I'm not going to put any extra pressure on myself," he said. "I did that once and ended up throwing up on court. I'm not going to do that again."

After losing to Agassi on Sunday, Sampras received some encouraging words from former Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion Jack Kramer.

"He told me, 'Keep on going. You've got plenty of years left,"' Sampras said. "It was nice to hear it."