Chilly Conditions Can’t Cool Down Sampras, Graf

Defending champions Pete Sampras and Steffi Graf dodged the tumult of upsets, freak injuries and illness Saturday as an Arctic blast closed out a wacky first week in Wimbledon’s winter of discontent.

Never in the 69 years since Wimbledon began seeding players have 19 seeds - a record 11 men and a record-tying eight women - departed before the middle Sunday break.

The way things are going, everyone could use a day off. Fans bundled up in blankets and players shivered in their shorts as chilly winds gusted up to 35 mph after a session virtually gutted by rain.

“It’s all part of our rich tapestry of weather,” said a meteorologist for the London Weather Service. “This front came in from over Iceland.”

Sampras, seeking a fourth straight Wimbledon title, struggled unexpectedly against No. 107 Karol Kucera of Slovakia before prevailing 6-4, 6-1, 6-7 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3).

“It was very cool and gusty, so my form didn’t seem like it was as good as it has been the last couple of matches,” Sampras said. “I got through it, but it wasn’t pretty.

Graf, going for her seventh title in nine years, waited and waited for Sampras to finish, then lost the first nine points against Nicole Arendt before crushing her 6-2, 6-1.

“I don’t think it ever happened to me, that somebody cheered when I finally made a point,” Graf said of the crowd’s reaction to her slow start. “It was extremely cold. Because of Pete’s match, I warmed up quite a few times, but maybe not enough.”

Graf didn’t limp or look any less fleet than usual, although she sported a white bandage the size of a large Band-Aid just below the left kneecap she injured in an exhibition two weeks ago.

“It keeps my knee a little bit better together,” Graf said.

German compatriot Anke Huber, the women’s No. 5 seed, became the latest victim of bad luck in the tournament as she suffered a stomach illness and had to take a break because of dizziness during a 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 loss to Ai Sugiyama of Japan.

“I never had something like this,” Huber said. “I was very dizzy and it was black in front of my eyes. I had to take the break. I was so happy to sit for a few minutes. It went away in the second set, but I just had no feeling for the ball.”

The quickest outing of the day, and Wimbledon history, took place when play began on Centre Court. Tim Henman, Britain’s last hope this year, served one game and a total of five points to close out a 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 victory over compatriot Luke Milligan in a match suspended by rain Friday night.

Two-time finalist and No. 4 seed Goran Ivanisevic, the other top eight seed left in the tournament besides Sampras, beat Alexander Volkov 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, 6-3. Martin beat Renzo Furlan 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 6-2.

“This is the tournament I want to win so badly,” said Ivanisevic, who lost to Andre Agassi in the final four years ago and to Sampras in the final two years ago. “It would be a relief to win it. It’s like I have a big stone inside my shoe, and I want to take it out.”

No. 10 seed Michael Stich, the 1991 Wimbledon champion who failed to get past the first round the last two years, also avoided the upset trend with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Australian Sandon Stolle.

“I think the All England Club should look at the draw, how it was made this year,” Stich said. “It’s a little bit surprising that all the big servers show up in the top half and all the so-called clay-courters, except Boris, show up in the bottom half.”

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: AT A GLANCE Men’s singles: No. 1 Pete Sampras, No. 4 Goran Ivanisevic, No. 10 Michael Stich, No. 13 Todd Martin and No. 16 Cedric Pioline all advanced. Women’s singles: No. 1 Steffi Graf, No. 3 Conchita Martinez, No. 6 Jana Novotna, No. 12 Kimiko Date and No. 13 Mary Pierce all advanced. Upsets: Magnus Gustafsson beat No. 11 Wayne Ferreira, Patrick Rafter beat No. 14 Marc Rosset, and Ai Sugiyama beat No. 5 Anke Huber.