WIMBLEDON, England -- Pete Sampras walked down the stairway to the parking lot after practice Sunday, hoping to stick around Wimbledon for the two weeks of this year's tournament and beyond.

A day before opening defense of his fourth consecutive title on the grass courts where he's virtually unbeatable, Sampras said he planned to keep playing "as long as I'm still enjoying it."

Sampras smiled after practicing for an hour under sunny skies. He didn't seem upset over a newspaper report that he could "call it a career" if he wins Wimbledon this year for the record eighth time.

"Total misquote," he said of the report in the Sunday Telegraph of London. The newspaper attributed its story to an interview Sampras did with TNT commentator Jim Courier, himself once the world's top-ranked player.

Portions of the transcript of the interview provided by TNT to The Associated Press quoted Sampras as saying, "In a perfect scenario, you'd love to play your last match here and win it and call it a career. Who knows what's gonna happen in the future? We'll see."

The quote reported by the newspaper was, "In a perfect scenario, I'd love to play my last match here this year, win it and call it a career."

Efforts to reach officials at the Sunday Telegraph for comment were unsuccessful. The weekly paper, with a separate staff from the Daily Telegraph, was closed until Tuesday and contact numbers for editorial staff were unavailable.

The TNT interview was scheduled to be aired Monday morning before the top-seeded Sampras' first-round match against unseeded Francisco Clavet of Spain.

So how long will Sampras keep playing?

"It's like (Michael) Jordan finishing," he said, looking back over his shoulder as he reached the parking lot. "One day."

For now, the 29-year-old Sampras is focused on Monday, when he's likely to start a much better run than he had last month at the French Open. He lost in the second round in straight sets to unseeded Galo Blanco of Spain on clay, his fourth consecutive exit from Paris in the first or second round.

On Wimbledon's grass, he has one loss in his last 54 matches. That would be 60-1 if he wins the final July 8.

On Sunday, Sampras was back on the fast surface that suits his game, and his concentration was sharp.

During one stretch, he hit four of seven serves off the top of the net and back on his side.

"That tape has to be high," he said to his coach, Paul Annacone. "I guarantee it."

Then one more serve slapped against the white net cord and landed on his side.

"I bet it's three-quarters of an inch high," Sampras said.

When his workout was over, he walked to the net and measured its height with his racket, showing no emotion. Then he left the court.

"It was a little high. He can tell," Annacone said.

How much higher than it should have been?

"Probably about three-quarters of an inch," Annacone added.