Sampras sends U.S. to Davis Cup finals

Web posted September 22, 1997

Associated Press

WASHINGTON Ä Playing not only for his country but with a chance to humble a U.S. Open champion, Pete Sampras was at his impeccable best.

He didn't just put away volleys. He was up in the air - way up - spiking shots into his opponent's court. And Patrick Rafter and the Australians didn't stand a chance.

Sampras beat the reigning U.S. champ 6-7 (6-8), 6-1, 6-1, 6-4 on Sunday to send the United States to the Davis Cup finals for the second time in three years.

``I couldn't play any better,'' Sampras said of the last three sets. ``I did everything that I could do very well, served well and returned well. I think the key was the crowd. That kind of got me going and pumped me up.''

Sampras gave the United States an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five semifinal. Michael Chang made the final score 4-1 with a 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-2) victory over Mark Philippoussis in a match reduced to the best-of-three sets.

The United States will play the Nov. 28-30 finals in Goteborg, Sweden. The Swedes, last year's runner-up to France, defeated Italy 4-1 after sweeping Sunday's reverse singles.

It will be the 59th time for the United States in the Davis Cup final, and the Americans will be seeking their record 32nd title. The U.S. team last won the Davis Cup in 1995, when Sampras led a 3-2 victory over Russia in Moscow.

After his winning volley, Sampras raised both hands and hugged captain Tom Gullikson. Sampras and Gullikson then each ran a victory lap with an American flag to the cheers of 7,500 - minus a couple of hundred Australians - at the FitzGerald Tennis Center.

Sampras, the world's top-ranked player, has won eight consecutive Davis Cup singles matches. But he raised his level of play against Rafter, who earlier this month won the U.S. Open crown Sampras had come to own for much of the 1990s.

The U.S. apparently has lost one point. As a result of Sampras' no-show for a post-match interview on Saturday following a doubles loss, with Todd Martin, to the Australians, the International Tennis Federation assessed the U.S. Davis Cup team a $1,000 fine.

``We will appeal the fine,'' U.S. captain Tom Gullikson said. ``He (Sampras) was getting treatment. He has had a bit of a bad foot and asking him to play three matches this week on a very hard court ... is a bit unfair.''

Sampras had a slightly different explanation.

``I really didn't have anything to say,'' Sampras said. ``I was getting a rubdown and the key thing for me was to recover.''

``He knew coming into the weekend that he was a bit of a marked man,'' Sampras said. ``He is someone that wins a Slam, and you want a piece of that.''

Sampras did not face a break point the entire match, did not give up a single point on his serve in the second set and served seven games to love. He hit 14 aces and had just one double fault in the 2-hour, 19-minute match. He also faced just one break point in his victory Friday over Philippoussis.

``That was as pumped up inside as I have seen Pete,'' Rafter said. ``I couldn't read his serve and just didn't pick the ball up.''

Asked if he had picked up anything that might help him against Sampras next time, Rafter said: ``Not really. Sort of more confused now.''

Rafter made a valiant effort to stay in the match through the first set, saving four break points in the fourth game and winning the tiebreaker. But his serve-and-volley game soon deserted him. He netted many easy forehand volleys and even had trouble with his toss, at one point kneeling with his head down to regain his composure after two consecutive wayward tosses.

Rafter's surprise U.S. Open triumph raised his ranking to No. 3, but he was taught tennis lessons this weekend with one-sided losses to both Chang and Sampras.

``Brings you back down a little bit,'' Rafter said. ``It is good, though, good to be knocked around a little bit. It makes me want to work harder, that is all it does.''

Sampras skipped the first round and quarterfinals of the Davis Cup this year. He said he will play in next month's final in Sweden, the site of his last Davis Cup singles defeat - a retirement because of a leg injury against Stefan Edberg in 1994.

``To commit to every tie is basically too much tennis,'' Sampras said. ``I have told the (International Tennis Federation) if they had a better schedule for Davis Cup, I would commit myself.''

The Americans led 2-0 after Friday's singles when Chang defeated Rafter and Sampras beat Philippoussis. Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge kept the Australians alive with a doubles victory over Sampras and Todd Martin on Saturday.

In the other semifinal, in Norrkoping, Sweden, the Swedes eliminated Italy when Jonas Bjorkman defeated Renzo Furlan 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 to give the home team a 3-1 lead. Thomas Enqvist beat Omar Camporese 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3 in the second reverse singles.

The Swedes lost what many consider was the most dramatic final in Davis Cup history last year at Malmo, Sweden. Both reverse singles went five sets for the first time in a final and France won 3-2.

``I think we would have a pretty good chance against the Americans,'' Enqvist said. ``We have a very good team and we want revenge for last year.''

In World Group qualifying this weekend: Zimbabwe beat Austria, Brazil beat New Zealand, India beat Chile, Belgium beat France, Germany beat Mexico, Russia beat Romania, Slovakia beat Canada and Switzerland beat South Korea.

The losers of the series will be relegated from the group of top Davis Cup teams.