Gullikson Dies of Cancer

Tim Gullikson, a former journeyman tennis player who forged a successful career coaching Pete Sampras to the No. 1 ranking in the world, died of brain cancer Friday in Wheaton, Ill. He was 44.

Gullikson had been fighting the disease for more than a year and his resolute battle served as an inspiration to Sampras and others.

“Today I lost a dear friend and coach,” Sampras said in a statement issued by the ATP Tour. “But we all lost a special person. My prayers are with his wife, Rosemary, and his two children, Erik and Megan.”

Sampras dedicated his Wimbledon victory last year to Gullikson, who was too ill to travel to England but spoke with Sampras nearly every day by phone. Gullikson’s twin brother, Tom--the U.S. Davis Cup captain whose voice is close to Tim’s--started sitting in the players’ box and shouting “Go Pistol,” Tim’s nickname for Sampras.

Gullikson’s playing career was mostly spent playing doubles with Tom. The pair won 10 doubles titles and they reached the Wimbledon finals in 1983.

Wimbledon also was the scene of Gullikson’s best singles result at a Grand Slam event. In 1979 he upset John McEnroe in the quarterfinals. He won four singles titles in his career.

Gullikson retired as a player in 1986 and began a second career as a coach. He worked with Martina Navratilova, Mary Joe Fernandez and Aaron Krickstein before going to work with Sampras in January 1992. Sampras had first approached Tom Gullikson to coach him, but Gullikson was under contract to the USTA and recommended his brother.

Tim Gullikson is credited with instilling his own prodigious work ethic into the underachieving Sampras. Under Gullikson’s influence, Sampras won seven Grand Slam titles and three times finished the season ranked No. 1.

One of the most-liked people in tennis, Gullikson also managed to draw out the emotionally withdrawn Sampras. Their relationship was unusual in professional tennis not only for its duration--players seem to change coaches as often as they change shoes--but also for its closeness. Sampras has had few friends and always referred to Gullikson as his best friend.

Gullikson fell ill at the 1995 Australian Open, only a few months after he had collapsed in a hotel room in Stockholm. The earlier incident was attributed to travel, stress and a poor diet.

Two months later at a tournament in Munich, Gullikson was talking to his wife on the phone and his speech became slurred and unintelligible. His wife, Rosemary, called the hotel’s front desk and arranged for her husband to be taken to a hospital.

Gullikson was told he had suffered two strokes and advised to change his diet and lifestyle.

In Australia, Gullikson had just been warming up Sampras before a third-round match. He took Sampras’ rackets to be strung but collapsed in the players’ locker room and, with his brother Tom by his side, Gullikson was rushed to a Melbourne hospital.

Sampras played his match unaware of the nature of his coach’s illness. Gullikson was kept in the hospital for several days before flying back to Chicago. Sampras was never fully informed of Gullikson’s condition but Sampras never stopped thinking of Gullikson.

In his quarterfinal match against Jim Courier, Sampras, was overwhelmed with emotion. Sampras won, but, drained, lost to Andre Agassi in the final.

Gullikson never traveled to another tour event with Sampras, although he did make an appearance in Las Vegas at the Davis Cup match with Sweden last fall.

Gullikson is survived by his wife, 13-year-old son Erik and 9-year-old daughter Megan. Other survivors are his mother, Joyce Gullikson Olson, brothers Tom and Gary, and a sister, SueEllen Levinger.

The funeral will be held Tuesday in Wheaton.