Exhibition in aid of Gullickson Foundation

Pete and Andy are playing an exhibition in Dallas tomorrow in aid of the Gullickson Foundation.

GO PETE

Sampras always remembers coach who changed his life
07/18/2002

By CHIP BROWN / The Dallas Morning News

The introduction of Pete Sampras to Tim Gullikson in 1992 was one of
those fateful meetings that changed the history of an entire sport.

Like Norv Turner was to Troy Aikman or Butch Harmon is to Tiger Woods,
Gullikson was the visionary who harnessed the mega-talent of a shy,
unsure kid from southern California and turned him into the serve-and-
volley Goliath who crashed the boundaries of men's tennis.

On Friday, Sampras will continue showing his appreciation for
Gullikson, who died from brain tumors at age 44 in May 1996, by playing
former Texan Andy Roddick in an exhibition match at SMU's Moody
Coliseum.

Sampras and Roddick, the king and prince of U.S. men's tennis, are
playing the match for free so that all proceeds will benefit the Tim
and Tom Gullikson Foundation, which raises money for care and support
of brain-tumor patients.

"It was difficult to see what cancer did to Tim and to his family
because Tim was so energetic and well-liked," Sampras said
Wednesday. "Being at the funeral, something like 900 people showed up,
and it was a reflection on the type of person he was. Since then, I've
tried to help raise some money. Hopefully, Friday we'll have a good
turnout in Dallas."

Before Sampras became the all-time men's leader in Grand Slam victories
(13) and a seven-time Wimbledon champion, he was powerful but wobbly,
much like a yearling. He raced at times, tripped blindly at others and
wondered if becoming the youngest men's U.S. Open champion at 19 in
1990 was a blessing or a curse.

When he lost in the 1991 U.S. Open quarterfinals, Sampras said he was
more relieved than disappointed and felt like "a ton of bricks" was
lifted from his shoulders. That was heresy to the ears of Jimmy Connors
and Jim Courier, among others, who criticized Sampras publicly.

"I had a fairy tale breakthrough in 1990, and I was struggling to feel
comfortable in my own skin," Sampras said. "I was insecure, even though
I had won a major."

A change for the better

After going nearly two years without reaching another Grand Slam final,
Sampras looked to make a coaching change. Sampras' agent at the time
contacted Tim Gullikson's twin brother, Tom, about possibly coaching
Sampras. Tom had a contract he couldn't break with the United States
Tennis Association but recommended his twin brother.

"Pete was this shy 20-year-old, and Tim was outgoing," said Tom
Gullikson, a former player and former U.S. Davis Cup captain. "Tim
treated the locker room attendant at Wimbledon the same way he treated
a CEO. He not only taught Pete a lot about tennis but a lot about life.
From the beginning, it was one of those relationships that just
clicked."

Sampras' three-year record at Wimbledon was 1-3 (two first-round losses
and a second-round loss) when he hooked up with Tim Gullikson, a crafty
grass-court player who won four singles titles and reached the final of
seven others during a career in the 1970s. Gullikson upset John McEnroe
in the fourth round at Wimbledon in 1979.

Gullikson and Sampras agreed Wimbledon was the perfect showcase for
Sampras' serve-and-volley talent. But Sampras struggled to return serve
on grass, particularly on the backhand side, and it was eating at his
confidence. Gullikson turned the weakness into a strength by shortening
the stroke. He gave Sampras other technical advice – to replace flashy
with high-percentage tennis – and most of all, a grinding killer
instinct.

"Tim was kind of a blue-collar mentality who didn't have a ton of
talent but made the most of what he had," Sampras said. "I had a ton of
talent but didn't have the blue-collar mentality. The combination of
all that was why I was able to reach the next level and win the majors
I did."

Emotional test

Sampras had won four of the last six majors and his career was one
victorious match point after another when doctors discovered four
tumors on Tim Gullikson's brain during the 1995 Australian Open. The
tournament and Gullikson's life-threatening diagnosis produced one of
the most memorable matches of Sampras' career.

After losing the first two sets in deflating tiebreakers in a
quarterfinal match against Courier, Sampras heard a fan yell, "C'mon
Pete, do it for your coach!" Tears rolled down Sampras' cheeks as he
patrolled the court. He somehow mustered the strength to rally for a
five-set win.

"I had held it all in regarding Tim's situation, and the moment,
combined with the emotion of the match, finally caught up to me," said
Sampras, who eventually lost to Andre Agassi in the final.

After living with brain cancer for 16 months, Tim Gullikson, was buried
by family and friends, including a 24-year-old Sampras, on May 7, 1996,
four days after Gullikson died. That year became an emotional buzz saw
for Sampras, who wanted more than anything to win the French Open – the
only Grand Slam title to elude him – for his coach.

Sampras defeated two French Open champions – Sergi Bruguera and
Courier – en route to the semifinals, where he simply had nothing left
in a three-set loss to Yevgeny Kafelnikov. It's still Sampras' best
showing in Paris.

"To see your coach and one of your best friends fight cancer and lose,
right at the beginning of your career, is an incredibly hard thing,"
said Paul Annacone, who coached Sampras for six years after Gullikson's
death. "I think Pete and Tim had an impenetrable bond."

Looking for direction

Over the past two years, Sampras has been looking for that same
confidence he got from Tim Gullikson, affectionately known as Gully.
Sampras split with Annacone at the end of last year and began working
with Tom, who was Sampras' captain in 1995 when Sampras dominated a
victory over Russia in the United States' last Davis Cup title.

But Sampras broke off their alliance after only one tournament – this
year's Australian Open – because Sampras believed they were too close
to have a player-coach relationship. Sampras has since been working
with taskmaster Jose Higueras. Tom Gullikson was hurt and disappointed
but understood.

"I guess he just felt he needed someone to coach him without the deep
personal ties that we have," Tom Gullikson said.

Every year, Sampras does fund-raisers, such as golf tournaments,
exhibitions and his Aces for Charity (he and his sponsors donate money
for every ace he hits), to help benefit the Gulliksons' foundation as
well as other causes. Dallas was selected for Friday's event because of
the city's rich tennis history, which includes Lamar Hunt's World
Championship Tennis final that used to be played in Reunion Arena.

Sampras said Tim Gullikson will be on his mind Friday night.

"Tim was more than a coach," Sampras said. "Tim was an extrovert, the
life of the party. I fed off him because he almost had too many
friends. He brought personality out in me. I miss him and owe him a
lot."

SAMPRAS VS. RODDICK

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Where: SMU's Moody Coliseum

Why: All proceeds benefit the Tim and Tom Gullikson Foundation, which
provides support for brain-tumor patients and their families.

Tickets: $30 and $15 available by calling 214-373-8000

***

Pete Sampras
Age: 30

Ht/Wt: 6-1, 175

Born: Washington, D.C.

Residence: Los Angeles

Turned pro: 1988

Singles titles: 63

Grand Slam titles: 13

Prize money: $42,329,889

2002 record: 17-14 (0 titles)

Andy Roddick
Age: 19

Ht/Wt: 6-1, 180

Born: Omaha, Neb.

Residence: Boca Raton, Fla.

Turned pro: 2000

Singles titles: 5

Prize money: $1,360,566

2002 record: 36-12 (2 titles)

Notable: Roddick lived in Austin as a kid before moving to
Florida. ... Roddick is the youngest player in the ATP top 20 and has
won both head-to-head meetings against Sampras. ... Roddick has played
charity events since he was the top-ranked junior in the world two
years ago. "It's nice to see a young man who understands giving back at
such a young age," Tom Gullikson said of Roddick. ... Sampras on
Roddick: "Of all the young Americans coming up, I think Andy has the
most talent and potential. He packs a lot of power. Where he goes from
here is up to him, but I think he's on the right path."

thanx for the article christinaE

Roddick serves a winner for charity
Rising star beats Sampras before sellout crowd in exhibition

07/20/2002

By MATT JACOB / The Dallas Morning News

UNIVERSITY PARK – Power and precision ultimately won out against
history and prestige as tennis returned to the Dallas area Friday for
one memorable night.

In a contest pitting one of sport's rising stars against one of its
greatest champions, Andy Roddick defeated Pete Sampras, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4,
in an exhibition benefiting the Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation before a
sellout crowd of 8,032 at SMU's Moody Coliseum.

Roddick's powerful serve and pinpoint groundstrokes ultimately won out
against Sampras' deft touch and serve-and-volley style that has won him
63 tournaments and an all-time best 13 men's singles Grand Slam
championships.

But spectators witnessed a high-level match against two of the United
States' top players – one whose stature in the professional ranks is on
the rise and one who refuses to slip out of the spotlight.

Roddick has a 2-0 edge against Sampras in head-to-head matches. But
while match experience against a player he refers to as his idol is
helpful, Roddick said taking advantage of any moment with Sampras can
be nothing but beneficial to his career.

"Sometimes before Davis Cup practice, I go out about a half hour early
and just watch him go about his business," Roddick said. "He's very
professional about things, and he definitely takes it very seriously
day in and day out, so I've learned a lot by watching him."

Despite two tournament titles in 2002, Roddick wants to end his season
on a better note. His best performance this year in Grand Slam events
was a third-round showing at Wimbledon, and Roddick is hoping to
surpass his quarterfinal showing at last year's U.S. Open.

Roddick's future in the sport comes at a time when the United States
needs a young player to have a breakout performance to increase
interest in the sport.

"I think Andy's doing just fine," Sampras said. "He's realistic, he's
got good people around him, he's got a good attitude, he's working hard
and he's got the game. And that's what it comes down to."

The Gullickson Foundation raises money for brain-tumor research and
patient assistance.

Dallas' tennis history a major selling point

Foundation director Tom Gullikson, twin brother of the late Tim
Gullikson, needed only two words to explain why Dallas was chosen as
the host city for the exhibition:

"Why not?"

The city hosted the first World Championship Tennis final in 1971,
moved to Moody Coliseum and Reunion Arena and remained in the city
until its run ended in 1989. Gullikson said the combination of the
city's "rich tennis history and coziness of Moody Coliseum" made Dallas
the right choice.

Lamar Hunt, who co-founded the WCT in 1967 with David Hill and who was
inducted into the World Tennis Hall of Fame in 1993, said he believes
Moody would be an ideal location for future tennis exhibitions.

"I think back to all the wonderful matches I've seen here in Moody, and
it means a lot," Hunt said. "From a spectator standpoint, this is
terrific and matches like these add a great deal to the sports history
in Dallas."

many people said pete is arrogant but i always find him a kind person, looks at his loyalty towards his dead coach, he is a good person :)

hi again mimi :D

Gullikson Foundation in the money

A fundraising exhibition match between Pete Sampras and Andy Roddick to benefit the Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation was a complete sellout with 8,032 fans watching the festivities at the Moody Coliseum in Dallas, TX. On Friday, July 19th. Sampras, who has been having troubling times on court recently, went three sets with Roddick before the teen won the night with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 decision.
An auction held in conjunction with the event raised over $100,000 for the charity that assists brain tumor patients and their families. While a racket of Sampras' went for $20,000 and Roddick's went for $8,500, two tickets to Centre Court at Wimbledon along with a personal tour of the NBC broadcast facility with former player and NBC personality John McEnroe went for $11,000.

The Gullikson Foundation also scored a major coup earlier in the month when they lured Stefan Edberg to their Ocean Edge event in New England, where the former champion reportedly gave current tour star Jan-Michael Gambill quite a fight in their exhibition match. Retired for five years, Edberg rarely appears in public these days, but the word is he's been keeping in fit and trim playing condition.

Stefan Edberg appeared in New England on 7/16 and
7/17 in an exhibition to raise fund for the Gullikson
Foundation.
I was lucky to be there and posted a writeup and
photos at this site:
http://www.geocities.com/edhead01us/smash.html
Stefan is looking great and seems very happy.
He is still playing tennis at a very high level,
but has no plan to play on the Champions tour.

Stefan Edberg appeared in New England on 7/16 and
7/17.
I was lucky to be there and posted a writeup and
photos at this site:
http://www.geocities.com/edhead01us/smash.html
Stefan is looking great and seems very happy.
He is still playing tennis at a very high level,
but has no plan to play on the Champions tour.


Stefan Edberg appeared in New England on 7/16 and
7/17 in an exhibition to raise fund for the Gullikson
Foundation.
I was lucky to be there and posted a writeup and
photos at this site:
http://www.geocities.com/edhead01us/smash.html
Stefan is looking great and seems very happy.
He is still playing tennis at a very high level,
but has no plan to play on the Champions tour.