Pete Sampras’ greatness, hidden all year, came pouring out yesterday at the U.S. Open. Playing a flawless first two sets and then breaking Patrick Rafter’s lethal serve to end it in the fourth, Sampras survived the Round of 16 Labor Day battle of tennis titans, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (7-5), 6-4.
After his overhead smash on a spectacular match point ended the two-hour, 31-minute affair, an ecstatic Sampras clenched his fists, then kissed one of them before shaking the Aussie’s hand. The victory sets up a quarterfinal epic tomorrow against Andre Agassi, who cruised in his Round of 16 match, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4, over Roger Federer.
“Patrick definitely brings out the best in me,” said Sampras, who had 60 winners to just 14 unforced errors in the match and did not have his serve broken once. “The first couple of sets I was just on a roll. This match was huge – worthy of a semi or final. To play Rafter in the 16s and back it up against Andre, it’s about as tough as it’s going to get.”
The 10th-seeded Sampras, who has not won a tournament all year, said of his showdown with Agassi, “It’s going to hopefully be a classic that we can all remember. It’s a pick ’em match.”
Rafter managed just two break points against Sampras – one in the opening game, another in the third set. Sampras’ return game was equally impressive in the first two sets as he bashed an array of lethal crosscourt backhands past Rafter. One of the best volleyers ever to pick up a racket, Rafter was sloppy at the net in the first two sets. “He’s got that big kick serve to my backhand, which has always given me problems,” Sampras said. “I took it short and early, got into a pretty good rhythm.”
Said Rafter “The high volleys really let me down today. I’m glad it wasn’t 3-2-1 and I got booed off the court. You know in New York it can happen.”
The late-afternoon shadows crept onto the Arthur Ashe Stadium court as the two stars, in the shadow of their careers, battled deep into the fourth set. Holding his third match point, ahead 5-4 with Rafter serving, 30-year-old Pistol Pete raced around the court like a young stud. He went back and forth with Rafter before putting away a lob with a brutal overhead smash to end the longest rally of the match.
“I felt we were going to a tiebreak, which I didn’t look forward to playing,” Sampras said. “I showed some pretty good wheels there.”
The raucous crowd shouted encouragement between points to each player across the final two sets. Early in the third, with Rafter down two-sets-to-love, a fan yelled: “Patrick, we don’t want to go home.” Rafter stepped back, looked up high into the upper deck and nodded.
When Rafter served an ace on his second serve to force a fourth set, the crowd howled in delight in tribute to the gracious Aussie who likely is retiring. Sampras broke Rafter early in the second set at 2-1 – a backhand crosscourt passing shot after which he clenched his fists and yelled, “Aaargh.”
The way Sampras was serving, it was only a matter of time. For Rafter, the time has likely come. “He’ll be missed,” Sampras said. “He’s one of the nicest guys on the tour.”