Sampras Shows Why He’s No. 1 In U.S. Victory

They said Pete Sampras wasn’t supposed to be a great clay court player. They said he’d be the weak link for the United States in the 1995 Davis Cup finals against Russia.

Trouble is, they forgot to tell Pete Sampras.

Having won once in a dramatic singles match Friday and again as half of the U.S. doubles team Saturday, Sampras returned for a third straight match Sunday with probably his best clay court performance ever. Powered by a virtually unreturnable serve, deft volleying and punishing forehands, he routed Russian ace Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), leading the Americans to a 3-2 victory and their 31st Davis Cup championship since the tournament began in 1900.

“I’ve never seen better clay court tennis,” said U.S. coach Tom Gullikson. “The combination of power and patience and precision serving. … It was flawless tennis.”

The 24-year-old Sampras, the world’s No. 1 player, was untouchable through two sets, then staved off a spirited challenge by Kafelnikov in the third. The victory in just over 2 hours gave the U.S. its third point in the best-of-five-point final, clinching the cup and making Jim Courier’s loss to Andrei Chesnokov moot.

The crowd of 14,000 in Olympic Stadium was chanting Kafelnikov’s name, howling at every point won by the Russian and even at Sampras’ missed first serves.

Russia, which made it to the Davis Cup finals for the first time last year against Sweden, has never won the final and had never played the Americans before.

But Sampras managed to neutralize the crowd, and Kafelnikov, by serving 16 aces for the match and allowing Kafelnikov to score just seven points against his serve through the first two sets.

Sampras was pleased enough to allow himself a little crowing. “The Russians were looking at (me) as being kind of the weak link on the slow red clay, (but) I certainly played some good tennis when I had to.

“To play on my worst surface against very tough opponents an a very tough crowd. … I think today’s match was probably my best clay court match I’ve played.”

Beyond the Davis Cup tournament, Sampras and non-playing team captain Gullikson share a bond that made Sunday’s victory all the more poignant. Sampras’ longtime coach and mentor, Tim Gullikson, the twin brother of the U.S. Davis Cup captain, was diagnosed this year with cancerous brain tumors.

In the postmatch press conference Sunday, both men made reference to Tim Gullikson’s struggle.

“For me personally it’s been a tough year with my twin brother Tim really in a much bigger competition, fighting, really, for his life,” said Gullikson, choking up. “So … for us to win this thing means a lot.”

Said Sampras: “I’m extremely happy for Tom. It’s been a very emotional year for both of us and (the Davis Cup victory) couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.”

As the Americans’ basked in their victory, Kafelnikov, 21, ranked sixth in the world, could only shake his head. Sampras “didn’t leave many openings,” he said.

It’s not that Kafelnikov, who beat Courier Friday, had no strategy against Sampras. He had watched the American collapse with hamstring cramps and get dragged off the court Friday after beating Chesnokov. With Sampras’ legs still tight Sunday, the Russian’s game plan was to work Sampras’ legs by drawing out the rallies and running the American ragged.

But Sampras was too aggressive, rushing the net for 20 volley winners and leaving Kafelnikov flat-footed with supersonic forehand winners cross-court and inside-out.