Patrick Rafter, of Australia, kisses his trophy that he was awarded after defeating Mark Philippoussis, also of Australia, in the mens singles championship at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York Sunday, Sept. 13, 1998. Rafter won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0.AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

Rafter keeps U.S. Open title

Web posted September 14, 1998

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- It was Aussie Rules tennis at the U.S. Open on Sunday and Patrick Rafter had by far the bigger, meaner game.

Rafter retained his title with an awesome display of speed and accuracy, winning an all-Australian battle with Mark Philippoussis 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0.

Both players dived to the concrete courts and sent volleys rocketing across the net. But Rafter had near perfection to go with his power.

The third-seeded Rafter had just five unforced errors against the unseeded Philippoussis, whose usually overpowering serve became a liability. He had just five aces and 13 double faults, the last on the final point of the match.

Rafter won the final 10 games.

Rafter, who had to rally from a two-set deficit in the first round but never was threatened again in the tournament, won $700,000 and moved up to No. 2 in the world rankings -- just behind Pete Sampras, whom he defeated Saturday in the semifinals.

The match was tied at one set apiece and 2-2 in the third set when Rafter took command. After holding serve, Rafter moved to break point on an incredible point when he raced around the court to return an overhead, a forehand into the corner and a drop shot. He broke Philippoussis' serve on the next point.

Rafter then won the next eight games to close out the match.

Rafter, looking like a Samurai warrior with a pony tail and a mangy beard that he grew during the tournament, has a game tailor-made for the hard, fast courts and hard, fast balls of the U.S. Open.

Philippoussis, in his first Grand Slam final, stayed in the match by saving 13 of 14 break points until midway through the third set, but Rafter converted five of his six break points after that.

Rafter faced just three break points in the match and lost his serve only once. His serve was broken only seven times in the seven rounds of the tournament.

It was intense tennis from the start. Late in the first set, Rafter tumbled to the court for a shot. When a ballboy brought over a towel, Rafter dried off the court -- not himself. Philippoussis made a similar dive later in the match.

Though the two players are not close and didn't speak to each other most of the summer because of a feud that began when Philippoussis declined to play on the Australian Davis Cup team, there was a gentlemanly air to the match.

When Rafter made bad service tosses and caught the ball instead of hitting it, he yelled, ``Sorry, mate,'' across the net.

Rafter's victory gave the Open its second consecutive repeat champion. Sampras won in 1995-96.

As Australian flags waved in the stands, Rafter captured his sixth title of the year and improved his record to 25-2 since Wimbledon.

Rafter appeared to be in trouble just before taking command of the match. In the fifth game of the third set, he was up 40-0 but lost three straight points -- slamming his racket to the court after netting a volley to fall to deuce.

He came right back to hold his serve, though, beginning his run of 10 straight games. Included in that run was a streak of 12 unanswered points in the fourth set.

Philippoussis was trying to join Andre Agassi as the only unseeded men's champion in U.S. Open history. Agassi pulled off the feat in 1994.

He swept to the final with power, blowing opponents off the court with 130-mph serves. His shots even sound different than those of other players -- they have a full-throated ``THWACK'' that approaches a roar.

But Philippoussis' power was no match for the speed of Rafter, who has won all three of their career matches. The second set was the first Rafter ever lost in their rivalry.

``I felt I was moving very well on his serve and made him play tough volleys,'' Rafter said. ``He wasn't getting as many free points as he's used to.''