Sampras replaces coach Gullikson with Higueras

Pete Sampras replaced coach Tom Gullikson after just four months in the job on Wednesday and hired Spaniard Jose Higueras, the seven-time Wimbledon champion's agent Jill Smoller told Reuters.

The 30-year-old Sampras, who has a record collection of 13 grand slam singles titles, hired Gullikson after dismissing his long-time coach Paul Annacone in December.

Sampras's choice of Higueras could indicate that he is planning a serious assault on the French Open, the only grand slam title to elude him.

The Spaniard coached Michael Chang to the French Open title in 1989, and has also worked with twice Roland Garros champion Jim Courier.

Higueras is based at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, where he works for the United States Tennis Association (USTA) touring up-and-coming Americans.

Sampras has been through a number of major changes over the last four months, ending his long-term relationship with Nike, who he felt were not paying him enough, appointing Smoller as his agent instead of Jeff Schwartz, and now firing two coaches.

The latest dismissal is surprising, however, because Sampras appeared convinced when he hired his close friend that Gullikson could help him back to the top.

Sampras has not won a title since Wimbledon 2000.

"Tom is a really good man and I have confidence he'll do a good job," Sampras told Reuters in December.

"I did think about going with someone completely new but when I really thought about it, I felt that Tom and I had a good enough relationship to where I can trust him enough to listen to him when he sees that I'm doing something wrong," Sampras said.