Pete is to join the Meryl Lynch Tour of Champions, starting in San Paolo in May, and will be at the Albert Hall in December.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7348300.stm

Good to see him wanting to play competitively again and great for the spectators. :ok:

Wonder if we'll see him play Goran soon, can't wait! :D

I am not being ironic here but i 'd like to see him play Paul Haaruis who seems to be clearly the best senior out there.

Yeah Haarhuis is really shining on that tour. I think he's very fit and taking it really seriously.

I replied to your post but as "report" :D so hopefully admin will see no complain from me about your last post and will put it back in the thread!

don't worry I've doen that myself enough times! :lol:

Last time I went to the Albert Hall was in 2004 to watch Becker play Krajicek, that was a great match. It went to a champions tiebreak. which Becker won. In fact, throughout the match which was about two hours long - Krajicek didn't serve and volley once, I repeat, Krajicek didn't serve and volley once in the whole match - he stayed back on every serve, and boy! was he serving big or what? The second set went to a tiebreak which Becker won but amazingly there were 6 successive breaks of serve in the 2nd set - how about that?

So, it certainly looks like I will be taking a trip to the Albert Hall this year now that Samprasi is coming! Won't be missing that one. My brother never saw Sampras play so he's been hoping Sampras will play the Albert Hall for some time as well.

Yeah I agree, would love to see how he stands up to Haarhuis. Very interesting.

Can you book tickets hwere you guarantee to see the player Laurie?

When I looked last year it was pretty much pot luck as to who would play.

Superbrat, we just turned up on the night and bought tickets, there were plenty available.

Tricky because no doubt a lot of people will want to see Sampras play - at the same time we won't know when or who he plays until December when it's announced.

So i'm quite confident we (you) will get to see him play. Are they guaranteed two matches? Is it round robin I can't remember.

I go to Roland Garros every year and get tickets for the quarterfinals the day before, I never try to get tickets over the net or anything before travelling. I even went to the WTA championships last year and got tickets for the round robin and the final - for that I did get from Madrid booking office but that was very easy indeed.

Wimbledon is the only tournament where getting tickets is a big problem - but it's run by a private club not a federation so they can distribute it how they want (I don't have a high opinion of Wimbledon)

I love Wimby as an event but i agree on the tickets. I'd love to go but can't do the queuing and all that anymore, not on my bloody legs and back anyway! It's so annoying that it's not easier to get tickets like the USO and FO becuase it's nto that far form where I live.


With the Blackrock last year, I enquired and also looked on line. They didnt' have many tickets left , or so it appeared. I expect Sampras will be a major pull and sell ou tif he is announced as playing on a set day. I didn't get any tickets cos I waas very focused on who I wanted to see and couldn't guarantee it.

We will have to wait and see, I'm happy to wait and take my chance. I'm confident tickets will be available on the day he's playing. I'll check the format of the competition but I would have thought he's guaranteed at least two matches - plus he has a very good of chance of getting to the semifinal or final as well, he's won every senior tournament he's entered the last 12 months.

I have no doubt of getting to see Sampras play and not worried at all about tickets.

Good luck then :ok: I'd expect him to get to the latter stages, he's in pretty good shape and it's nto clay so should be able to do his thing on it.

That's interesting, as I will be in Paris during the first week of RG. When I looked on their website, it seemed as though tickets have already been allocated, and you can't buy any at the door. Presumably it may be possible to buy them through some ticket site online, but when I looked even for these early days the prices were quite exorbitant.

If you could give me some idea where you buy your tickets when you go to RG, that would be much appreciated. :ok:

Laurie posted an article in another fourm that said that Pete S said something about a man needing to work to be fulfilled(???). I hope he enjoys himself.
P.S. He and Federer could both eat Tiger Woods for lunch! :lmaao:

Sure.

It might sound boring but we get them at the ticket office at the grounds, by turning up one day before the quarterfinals (Monday) and queing on average 1 hour until the ticket office opens at 10am. We'll be doing the same again this year. Don't get freaked out by the information the website provides - you are bound to get in. I've never been to Roland Garros in the first week but there are usually always tickets availbale for quarterfinals in both Suzanne Lenglen and Phillipe Chatrier courts. Plus, unlike Wimbledon the quarterfinals are mixed so you could get two womens matches and one's mens match in one day. Tickets are usually about 45 euros (whih is dirt cheap compared to Wimbledon. ground passes are usually around 10 euros (again dirt cheap compared to Wimbledon).

For instance In 2006 on Suzanne Lenglen we saw Venus v Vaidisova, Henin v Groenefeld and Nalbandian v Davydenko - that's great value for 45 euros. Last year on Phillipe Chatrier we saw the Joker v Andreev, Nadal v Moya plus a doubles match.

In the first week, I would imagine a lot of top players will be playing on outside courts if there wasn't any tickets on the show courts, so you would still see something good.

Basically the French sell any tickets that they don't sell beforehand at the ticket office.

By the way, last year at Wimbledon ground passes were £20. I work very close to Wimbledon so I went one day after work last year and it was £18 to get in after 5pm. When I fisrt went to Wimbledon in 1995 a groundpass was £6 that year. Wimbledon is a license to print money for the organisers, even the players complain the food is too expensive, remember Safin complaining a plate of pasta is £20?

I just find that Roland Garros is a much more pleasant tournament with a more relaxed atmosphere where fans can cheer on and be more uninhibited. And the last few years the weather has been incredible.

I certainly endorse Roland Garros :ok:

Thanks! :ok:

Yeah I saw this and was checking out the format. They also have an afternoon and evening session making it tres difficult to guess when Pete would be appearing. My guess would be he would play in the evening but thats only a hunch. I was thinking of gambling on evening quarter finals, but thats if he makes it that far! Is not cheap either is it? Would be just my luck to get tickets and not see him when in all honesty that is all I would go for.

Are you local though? See I will have to book time off work plus organise travel and accomodation. I can't just turn up on the day.

Yes, I live and work in London so getting to the Albert Hall is no problem.

It's a long way off so I won't be thinking about it at this stage, because as you say we have no idea what the schedule will be at the moment.

The only thing I can suggest is phoning the Albert Hall and take some advice in the autumn - but I just plan on turning up.

Stil lots of live Tennis before then, I'll be going to Roland Garros, have a ticket for the Eastbourne final this year and then will be going to Wimbledon

So Pete Sampras can wait :D

Scowls with jealous disgust at laurie :angry: No-seriously man have the time of your life @ the french & Wimbledon. take lots of pictures