Posted on: September 02nd, 2002
Pete turns back open clock
- petepageSource: Mark Hale, NY Post
They had been with him all match. And now, as Pete Sampras shuffled his feet, gathering himself to receive for match point deep into the fifth set, the roar at Louis Armstrong Stadium reached a crescendo.
Oh, part of it was because of the situation - Sampras hadn't broken England's Greg Rusedski since midway through the second set. But most of it was a tribute simply to Sampras himself, almost a toast to what the fans hoped was one more inspired Grand Slam run.
Moments later, Rusedski's forehand flew wide and both Sampras and the crowd had their wish. Sampras thrust both hands skyward, screaming "Thank you" before flashing an enormous grin on his face as he basked in the cheers.
"There are moments when you get older that you kind of cherish a little more," Sampras said after his 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-4 third-round win. "The people were kind of pulling for me, and it was nice to carry it out."
Coming into the Open, many doubted the 17th-seeded Sampras' chances for a possible 14th Grand Slam. In fact, many were urging him to retire altogether after what they expected to be an early-round loss.
But in case you had doubts, the man is not going to be vanquished easily, nor is he about to fade quietly into the night. It would be hyperbolic to call last night's encounter with the 33rd-seeded Rusedski an instant classic, but a three-hour-and-15-minute heavyweight fight? Go right ahead.
Rusedski, the hard-hitting Brit, gave Sampras all he could handle. His booming serve - which reached breakneck speeds of 132 mph - gave Sampras fits, its power and pace jamming him into repeated mis-hits and errant shots off his frame. Play was even throughout and Rusedski, in fact, actually captured more games than Sampras, 28-27.
But on big points, Sampras showed more poise, especially in the tiebreakers when Rusedski struggled with double faults and erratic play.
"I lost the match. He didn't win," Rusedski said. "When it counted, I gave him a little too much respect."
It's true that Sampras committed an unsightly 42 unforced errors, one of the reasons why he admitted that he played "solid, not great." Still, he had plenty of umph on his serve, racking up 17 aces, and he recorded a remarkable 81 winners.
"I enjoy playing," Sampras said. "That's why I'm still here, because I look forward to the challenge."
How far Sampras can go in the Open? It's anyone's guess. He is, after all, seeded 17th, meaning his draw the rest of the way could be a murderer's row that includes Tommy Haas (his fourth-round opponent), Andy Roddick, Gustavo Kuerten and Lleyton Hewitt.
"I'll be surprised if he wins his next match against Haas," Rusedski said. "He's just not the same player."
Maybe not. But he's still playing.
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