"I have to forget about the past four, five months and learn from it. My setbacks this year have been humbling but I have tried to look at the struggle as a positive."After his second-round loss in Paris to Andrei Medvedev, Sampras returned to the United States for an evaluation session with his coach, Paul Annacone. "We had a heart to heart about where I'm at, my career, my year so far. I realised I had put too much pressure on myself talking about my need to win the French I play my best tennis when I just go out and play I want to win in Paris so much but you can't force it. Now I've got two of the year's biggest events [Wimbledon and the US Open] coming up in the next three months Let's try to win both of them.

There's no reason why I can't."When I go out at two o'clock on Monday I'll be ready. You have to be realistic: I'm not going to win Wimbledon every year, but if I play well I can do it again because Wimbledon brings out something great in me The atmosphere of the place is phenomenal You feel like the whole world is watching Wimbledon That's why I've played well there, the importance of it. It's our Super Bowl and if you can't get up for that you shouldn't be playing."Sampras has been sold on the merits of Wimbledon since, as a child in California, he used to get up at 6am to sit by the television set. "It was always a unique feeling compared to the other majors: the atmosphere, the echo of the ball, the court, such a great event to watch."After winning there five times in six years I have nothing to prove any more.

Bjorn Borg winning five was something I figured would never be touched, so it's overwhelming to put myself in his shoes, and I figure I am in a position to do it a couple more times. There is no reason why I shouldn't."Any expectations or pressure will come from myself. Sure, there are some players who could get hot at the right time and beat me but I have the confidence I can do it I have defended and won three in a row. You kind of get used to it, you get comfortable winning Grand Slams and coming back and doing it again."When I head through the gates on Monday I'll be thinking that I'm back home, but I have to admit I'm still a little bit overwhelmed that I have won it so many times. There is something about that Centre Court that I have grown to love and by now I know the routine I am staying at the same house, same maid, same cook.

You get into a ritual, just find a comfort zone, keep it simple I know I am playing at two o'clock. I will have the same lunch, eat at the same time, practise at the same time, then go out and play."As for those capable of taking away his title, Sampras sums them up as "pretty much the same guys": the British duo of Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski, the Australians Rafter and Mark Philippoussis, the 1996 champion Richard Krajicek and the three-times runner-up Goran Ivanisevic."If any of them get hot, there's not much you can do Anyone who can serve big is going to be a threat. Goran does well because he is a great athlete, he can move well and adjust to different balances. That's why Ivan Lendl always struggled at Wimbledon, because he wasn't a natural athlete."Sampras admits last year's final against Ivanisevic was his most difficult because he felt the match slipping away. "I remember thinking during the changeovers, `It's Goran's year', but in grass-court tennis things can change in two minutes. If he had hit one return just two inches higher he would have gone two sets up and won the match I am sure he thinks about that all the time. The toughest thing in the game is getting to the final of a major and losing.