Pete Sampras struggled past Czech Daniel Vacek in his first-round match at the ATP US Clay Court Championships in Houston, rallying to subdue a foe with only one victory in eleven matches this year.
The fourth seed of the tournament just avoided total humiliation with a 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 win in his first clay court match of the year to book his place in round two. The seven-time Wimbledon champion last captured a clay crown in 1998 at Atlanta but hopes new coach Jose Higueras can help him avoid being a clay pigeon his entire career.
"It wasn't easy out there", said Sampras. "The court played pretty slippery. That's clay. You have to grind it out. It's not going to be pretty". Meanwhile top seed Tommy Haas of Germany opened by dumping American Alex Kim 6-2, 6-4, while defending champion Andy Roddick beat his fellow American Michael Russell 6-2, 6-1.
Two top seeds went out of the tournament. Dane Kristian Pless rallied to dump eighth seed Jan-Michael Gambill of the US 2-6, 6-2, 7-5, while Flavio Saretta of Brazil sent home sixth seed Wayne Ferreira of South Africa 6-4, 7-5. Other winners on a day of 13 first-round matches included, Michael Chang, Bob Bryan, Wayne Arthurs and Taylor Dent.
Filed By James Shortt
