Sampras Blocks Philippoussis’ Path
Pete Sampras took the sizzle out of Mark Philippoussis’ serves, blocking back anything he could see and touch, and knocking the Aussie giant out of the U.S. Open.
Sampras lost the duel of aces 17-11 but won the fourth-round match 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 Tuesday night with a masterful performance in every other phase of the game.
“When you’re going against a 134 mph serve, you’d better have your game face on,” Sampras said. “His service is so hard, you almost have to guess. You hope you get that one break-point.
“It was solid. I was down break-point one time. He’s going to get his aces. You try to pick it off the best you can. I returned well and made him play.”
This was Sampras at his best, the three-time champion showing Philippoussis how to return against a big server, how to mix up serves, how to be patient in rallies, and how to smother an opponent on key points.
In all those ways, this fourth meeting between the No. 1 player and the tallest, most talented teenager in tennis was much like their match at Wimbledon two months ago, which Sampras also won in three sets. Though on hardcourt this time, Sampras dominated with the same kinds of skills and mature decisions that led him to victory on grass.
Stefan Edberg, meanwhile, is conjuring up the magic of Jimmy Connors.
In his own quiet, yet fiery way, Edberg surged into the quarterfinals with a fist-pumping 6-7 (7-2), 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 6-4 victory over Britain’s Tim Henman.
Not since Connors’ amazing run to the 1991 semifinals here at age 39 - the year Edberg won for the first time - has a player been such a sentimental crowd favorite. He’s only 30, but he’s playing in his 54th consecutive and final Grand Slam event. They roar for him on each winning point, clap for him when he’s down. They’ve been doing it all tournament, and they can be expected to do it Thursday when he plays No. 4 Goran Ivanisevic.
“The crowd was behind me once again,” said Edberg, a little surprised because he never heard such cheers here in his prime when he was respected but not quite so revered. “It does help, but at the same time you need to play good tennis in the match to get them behind you. As long as you win the last one, that’s what counts.”
In women’s quarterfinal play, Monica Seles took 48 minutes to crush Amanda Coetzer 6-0, 6-3. Coetzer won only five points in the first set.
Seles, No. 2, next goes to the semifinals Friday against the player she beat in last year’s semis - No. 4 Conchita Martinez.
xxxx U.S. OPEN Results Men’s singles, fourth round: No. 1 Pete Sampras, No. 4 Goran Ivanisevic, Stefan Edberg, Alex Corretja all advanced. Women’s singles, quarterfinals: No. 2 Monica Seles, No. 4 Conchita Martinez both advanced.