Agassi-Sampras Quarterfinal Set
NEW YORK (AP) - And now, a quarterfinal fit for a final.
Ever since the U.S. Open draw was published, the possibility of a quarterfinal showdown between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi existed. Each needed four wins to get there, and each came through, sometimes with difficulty.
That means a dream match set for Wednesday night: Sampras vs. Agassi with six U.S. Open championships between them. It is marquee material.
Four-time champion Sampras eliminated Patrick Rafter, a two-time winner, and two-time champion Agassi ousted Roger Federer on Monday to set up their date in America's Grand Slam event. It will be a reunion between the two oldest players in the field and two of the best of their time.
The same scenario developed in the women's semifinals, where top-seeded Martina Hingis, still ranked No. 1 in the world, will face Serena Williams in a match of former champions. Hingis won this title in 1997, Williams in 1999.
They have met 10 times, with Hingis holding a 6-4 edge, including the last three matches.
Hingis, trying to end a 10-tournament Grand Slam slump, eliminated practice partner Daja Bedanova 6-2, 6-0, setting up the date with Williams, who outlasted 1998 champion Lindsay Davenport 6-3, 6-7 (7), 7-5.
``It's going to be tough to go through,'' Hingis said. ``But you have to expect that in the semifinals. You wait for those matches. They bring out the best in me. Hopefully, also I make them play the best.''
Hingis won the first 11 points and broke the 18-year-old Bedanova six times. It was an easy victory in sharp contrast to her struggle in the previous round against Iva Majoli.
Williams, like Sampras seeded No. 10, wasted two match points early and came back to defeat Davenport.
``I really wanted to win more than anything,'' she said.
She knows she will have another tough match against Hingis. ``I've had a few the last few days,'' she said. ``I come out to be in the final. Two more to go. Two more.''
Also advancing to the quarterfinals were No. 7 Yevgeny Kafelnikov and No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten. Kafelnikov ended a three-match losing streak against No. 12 Arnaud Clement, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3, and Kuerten downed Albert Costa 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7).
No. 18 Andy Roddick reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time, beating Tommy Robredo 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.
Roddick hit a 141 mph serve - third-fastest in tournament history - and became the youngest men's quarterfinalist at the Open since Andre Agassi in 1988. He'll next play the winner of the match between No. 16 Tommy Haas and No. 4 Lleyton Hewitt.
Haas led 6-3, 2-2 when play was suspended until Wednesday because of rain.
``I just hope they run each other a lot,'' Roddick said.
Sampras leads the series against Agassi 17-14, but has lost their last three meetings, including two finals this year.
The last time they met at the Open was in the 1995 final which Sampras won in four sets. Their last Grand Slam meeting was in the Australian Open final last year, when Agassi won in five sets.
The three losses to Agassi this year are part of a 17-tournament slump Sampras has endured since setting the Grand Slam record by winning Wimbledon in 1999. That added up to a No. 10 seed at the Open, a tournament he has won four times.
Sampras and Agassi both experienced some struggles in the early rounds at the Open. Sampras was forced to three tiebreaks in the first two matches and lost a set to Rafter before reaching the quarters. Agassi had three tiebreak sets, losing one of them, in his second and third matches.
What's important, though, is both reached the quarters feeling good about their game and their prospects.
``I've had a few challenges over the year, but this is a very, very tough draw, even from my first match on,'' Sampras said. ``To play Pat in the 16 and back it up against Andre, this is about as tough as it's going to get. It's a huge challenge.
``I feel like I'm up to the challenge. I've got a good shot at moving on. I'm going to have to play very well.''
Agassi understood the significance of playing Sampras next.
``If you win, you've done something pretty incredible by beating one of the game's best,'' he said. ``If you lose, you know you were part of something, part of a challenge and opportunity that you know you're not going to get very often.''
Originally published September 04, 2001.
