Posted on: September 03rd, 2002
Sampras, Roddick set for US Open quarterfinals
- petepageSource: AP
At the end, Pete Sampras felt the humidity, the three hours of hitting balls back and forth, the weariness of three straight nights on the court at the U.S. Open.
And still he won.
Sampras, hidden in the seedings at No. 17, reached deep for a 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-5 victory over third-seeded Tommy Haas on Tuesday night that put him in the quarterfinals of the season's final Grand Slam.
There he will play No. 11 Andy Roddick, who showed the same kind of resolve for a 7-5, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Juan Ignacio Chela.
Roddick called playing his idol in the Open quarters a dream.
``I hope,'' Sampras said, ``it's a nightmare for him.''
Sampras, the Grand Slam record holder with 13 major titles, recognizes the significance of this pairing.
``He's the future of the game,'' the 31-year-old Sampras said. ``He's got a big game, a lot of power. It's kind of an older vet playing against the young guy. So it's a good matchup. I look forward to it.''
After a lethargic summer that left him as an afterthought at the start of this event, Sampras has geared up his game for the Open. He put it all on display against Haas.
There was a feeling, though, that this match ended just in time for him. He had frittered away a 2-0 lead in the third-set tiebreaker and was forced to a fourth set, something he hardly needed after finishing a five-setter the night before against Greg Rusedski.
``I was pretty frustrated but I hung in there,'' Sampras said. ``It would have been nice to win in straight sets.
``It was a long night. I was feeling it at the end. My legs were a little heavy. But it's the U.S. Open. You do what you can to win. You dig deep.''
Roddick could relate to that.
Playing with his left foot heavily taped, he dropped the first set to Chela. In the second set, the 20-year-old Roddick was hobbling when Cela sent him on a merry chase, from one end of the court to the other and back to the baseline. Roddick somehow saved shot after shot and then won the point with a passing shot that left Cela glued in place.
The Open crowd went wild, and when Roddick's momentum left him near the side of the court, he skipped over a bench and exchanged high fives with the fans.
This in the middle of a game.
``I don't really remember it too well because it was all reaction,'' Roddick said. ``It wasn't like I was in control of anything out there. I was really reacting to what he was doing. At first, it was tough. I kind of hobbled toward the first ball a little bit. The crowd grew more and more. They were giving me everything so I have to give it my all.
``I think it helped turn things around. Definitely, I think it was one of the turning points out there.''
Someone asked if the dive into the crowd was spontaneous.
``No,'' Roddick said, a playful smile creasing his face. ``I planned to hit a between-the-legs shot, run down a ball, run into the crowd. That was all in the works from the beginning.''
Now Roddick prepares for Sampras in Thursday's quarterfinal.
``I'm excited about the prospect,'' he said. ``I'm assuming it will be a nighttime match. That's what you play for. That's what you put the work in for, for matches like that.''
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