Pete Sampras said yesterday at Wimbledon that tennis'
governing bodies "could do a lot better job" marketing the
sport and its players, according to Bruce Jenkins of the
S.F. CHRONICLE. Sampras: "Nike has really marketed Andre
(Agassi) and myself over the years, but it's nothing like
the NBA or some of the other major sports. It's sad but
true: The game needs a little controversy" (S.F. CHRONICLE,
7/1). Sampras said the game needed rivalries similar to the
Bjorn Borg-John McEnroe-Jimmy Connors duels of the '70s and
'80s. Sampras: "Maybe we need a little more hatred." In
Detroit, Mitch Albom, on tennis's marketing challenge: "So
what's the problem? Leadership" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/1).
GIRL POWER: TIME INTERNATIONAL's Brigid O'Hara-Forster
profiles the WTA Tour, and writes that it "is enjoying a
spectacular rise in popular appeal and financial clout," as
its young stars "have drawn not only the attention of
sponsors and television programmers but also a seductive
glance from the men's game" (TIME INT'L, 7/6 issue)....In
San Diego, Nick Canepa wrote that he will take today's women
stars, like Monica Seles and Martina Hingis, over the men's
tour "any time, anywhere" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/30).
