Sampras beats Rafter for record 13th Grand Slam title
July 9, 2000
LONDON (Reuters)(DS) - Pete Sampras has rewritten tennis history in the Wimbledon dusk, winning his seventh singles crown and a record 13th Grand Slam title 6-7 7-6 6-4 6-2 against Australia's Pat Rafter. With the clock at 8.57pm local time and light failing fast on Centre Court, a thunderous serve from Sampras on matchpoint forced Rafter to return into the net, etching the American's name into the record books.
Sampras had shared the 30-year-old record of 12 Grand Slam titles with Australia's Roy Emerson since winning Wimbledon last year. Now he stands alone and this record could last a lifetime. The quiet American broke down, wiping tears from his eyes, as the Centre Court exploded in celebration.
"This is one of my best moments," he said after a match wich lasted almost six hours after being twice interrupted by rain. "I'm still spinning, it's amazing." "I love Wimbledon and I love the people here...this court is the best in the world." His seventh title - in eight years - equals a 19th century record set by Britain's William Renshaw.
HUGS
PARENTS
The 28-year-old clambered into the stands to hug his parents Georgia and
Sam who were witnessing, for the first time, their son winning a Grand Slam
title. "It means so much to me that my parents were here today,"
Sampras said. "They can share this with me," he said as hundreds
of camera flashlights sparkled in the darkness. The manner of Sampras's
victory was sufficiently dramatic for a match which takes its place in history.
The top seed showed just why he has won 53 of his last 54 matches at the All England Club, coming back from a set and 4-1 down in the second set tiebreak to power past Rafter.
"The way the match was going I felt like I had let it slip away," he said. "I was quite tight (nervous) at times through that match but I got through it.
"From serving at 4-1 down in the second tie-break I went from feeling like I was going to lose the match to feeling like I would win the match in about two minutes. "That's grasscourt tennis."
RAFTER BLEW CHANCE
Rafter, twice U.S. Open champion, knew he had blown a big chance. "I
had my opportunities early on but when you play a great champion like Pete
you've got to take them.
"I just got a bit nervous because I knew it was on the line." Having looked all but beaten in the second set tiebreak, and with many in the crowd writing him off, Sampras roared back and displayed the fighting qualities which have seen him dominate the sport for the past decade.
The rain-affected match finally got underway one hour late at 14.01 GMT and spanned almost six hours.
Going into the match Sampras led 12th seed Rafter 9-4 in previous matches, but the Australian had won three of their last four and the only Grand Slam match they played -- the 1998 U.S. Open semifinal. Nothing could separate the pair in their first grasscourt clash and, after two interruptions for rain, the opening set entered a tiebreak.
Sampras, whose power serve rarely faltered, broke on the opening point with a deft drop volley but was immediately broken back when Rafter rolled a forehand return gently down the line.
The American got the next break when Rafter volleyed a forehand wide, but two points later Rafter whistled a backhand return down the line to level matters. Sampras missed a set-point at 6-5 when he miscued a passing shot and Rafter won a set-point of his own at 7-6 with an ace.
Sampras saved it with an ace and used another one to reach his second set point. He failed to convert that one, too, and Rafter eventually converted on his fourth set-point when Sampras double- faulted to lose the tie-break 12-10.
SIMILAR SECOND SET
The second set followed a similar pattern and two early breaks in the tie-break
saw Rafter lead it 4-1. But a forehand volley into the net, a Rafter double
fault and simple cross-court forehand dumped into the net handed the momentum
straight back to Sampras and he snatched it, punching a forehand volley
away to level matters 7-5 in the tie-break.
Rafter's serve was losing its edge and Sampras grabbed the first break of the match after two hours 12 minutes of play. A Rafter forehand volley into the net gave Sampras a 3-2 lead and the frustrated Australian smashed his racquet down in fury. With his nose in front at last, Sampras didn't put a foot wrong and served out to love 6-4.
Rafter sensed he had missed his chance and allowed himself to be broken again in the fifth and seventh games of the fourth set as Sampras reached out for his place in history.
Three missed backhands handed him three championship points and he took it on his first.
"This is my home away from home," he said. "I have grown
to love this place...I will always come back here even when I am finished
with this game. "I'll come back and sit in the Royal Box to watch some
others sweat it out."