Sampras, Roddick lose as France beats U.S. 3-0
May 19, 2002
Pete Sampras and Andy Roddick each lost in three sets and the United States was beaten by France 3-0 at the World Team Championships on Sunday.
Sampras was beaten 7-6 (3), 2-6, 7-6 (2) by Nicolas Escude, and Roddick lost 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to Arnaud Clement.
France completed the sweep when Clement and Escude defeated James Blake and Jared Palmer 6-1, 6-1 in doubles.
Sampras failed in his attempt to serve for the first set at 5-4 and lost in a tiebreaker. After easily winning the second set, Sampras took a 5-4 lead in the third.
Escude battle back and extended the set to another tiebreaker, which he dominated 7-2.
"I was feeling really good out there, but I played a couple of loose service games," said Sampras, who has lost three straight clay-court matches in Europe. "I give him credit. He hung in there and served really well. I felt I played fine and did everything today but win and that's disappointing. I just need to win those crucial points."
Roddick let an early lead slip away, dropped 13 of 14 points in one stretch of the third set.
Down 4-0, Roddick won 11 straight points, but was unable to complete his comeback.
"I was playing well in the first set and hitting the ball where I wanted to, then in the second set and the beginning of the third I couldn't buy a first serve," Roddick said. "I don't know what happened."
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