A CHAMPION'S MIND, by Pete Sampras

(originally posted on June 26, 2008)

Not all that many years ago I went through a serious tennis obsession phase, and my favorite player then - and now - is Pete Sampras. Why? Because he had a beautiful serve, rushed the net and won Slams on his own terms without courting publicity. The seventh Wimbledon title was classic and the last matchup with Andre Agassi at the 2002 US Open was all sorts of wonderful. So of course I read this book in practically one sitting, not caring that the prose (written by Peter Bodo) is as cliche ridden as it gets. It's Pistol Pete, dammit, and I miss him on the court.