U.S. Makes The Finals Sampras Thumps Rafter, Cinches Davis Cup Semis
Playing not only for country but with a chance to humble a U.S. Open champion, Pete Sampras was at his impeccable best.
He didn’t just put away volleys. He was up in the air - way up - spiking shots into his opponent’s court. And Patrick Rafter and the Australians didn’t stand a chance.
Sampras beat the reigning U.S. champ 6-7 (6-8), 6-1, 6-1, 6-4 on Sunday to send the United States to the Davis Cup finals for the second time in three years.
“I couldn’t play any better,” Sampras said of the last three sets. “I did everything that I could do very well, served well and returned well… . I think the key was the crowd. That kind of got me going and pumped me up.”
Sampras gave the United States an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the best-of-5 semifinal. Michael Chang made the final score 4-1 with a 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-2) victory over Mark Philippoussis in match reduced to the bestof-3 sets.
The United States will play the Nov. 28-30 finals in Goteborg, Sweden. The Swedes, last year’s runner-up to France, defeated Italy 4-1 after sweeping Sunday’s reverse singles.
After his winning volley, Sampras raised both hands and hugged captain Tom Gullikson. Sampras and Gullikson then each ran a victory lap with an American flag to the cheers of 7,500 - minus a couple of hundred Australians - at the FitzGerald Tennis Center.
Sampras, the world’s top-ranked player, has won eight consecutive Davis Cup singles matches. But he raised his level of play against Rafter, who earlier this month won the U.S. Open crown Sampras had come to own for much of the 1990s.
“He knew coming into the weekend that he was a bit of a marked man,” Sampras said. “He is someone that wins a Slam, and you want a piece of that.”
Sampras did not face a break point the entire match, did not give up a single point on his serve in the second set and served seven games to love. He hit 14 aces and had just one double fault in the 2-hour, 19-minute match. He also faced just one break point in his victory Friday over Philippoussis.
“That was as pumped up inside as I have seen Pete,” Rafter said. “I couldn’t read his serve and just didn’t pick the ball up.”
Asked if he had picked up anything that might help him against Sampras next time, Rafter said: “Not really. Sort of more confused now.”
Rafter made a valiant effort to stay in the match through the first set, saving four break points in the fourth game and winning the tiebreaker. But his serve-and-volley game soon deserted him. He netted many easy forehand volleys and even had trouble with his toss, at one point kneeling with his head down to regain his composure after two consecutive wayward tosses.
Rafter’s surprise U.S. Open triumph raised his ranking to No. 3, but he was taught tennis lessons this weekend with one-sided losses to both Chang and Sampras.
“Brings you back down a little bit,” Rafter said. “It is good, though, good to be knocked around a little bit. It makes me want to work harder. That is all it does.”
Sampras skipped the first round and quarterfinals of the Davis Cup this year. He said he will play in next month’s final in Sweden, the site of his last Davis Cup singles defeat - a retirement because of a leg injury against Stefan Edberg in 1994.
The United States will be playing in the finals for the 59th time and will be seeking its record 32nd title. The U.S. team last won the Davis Cup in 1995, when Sampras led a 3-2 victory over Russia in Moscow.
In the other semifinal, in Norrkoping, Sweden, the Swedes eliminated Italy when Jonas Bjorkman defeated Renzo Furlan 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 to give the home team a 3-1 lead. Thomas Enqvist beat Omar Camporese 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3 in the second reverse singles.