NEW YORK - Pete Sampras brought the flaming torch of American tennis to the United States Open yesterday, but instead of passing it to Andy Roddick, he scorched the young pretender.
In a prime-time clash of yesterday and tomorrow, Sampras proved he is best today, swaggering into the semifinals of the
hardcourt Grand Slam event with all the pomp and elan only a great can muster.
His 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory spanned just 90 minutes and turned what Roddick had called his dream quarter-final into a sweat-inducing nightmare.
The leader of the new guard banging on Sampras' door had provided more than enough inspiration for him to storm to a 201st Grand Slam victory and stretch his perfect night-time record in New York to 20-0.
"Absolutely, it fired me up," the 31-year-old said as he sat on his courtside seat with cheers ringing in his ears. "I love it here. It is awesome at night in New York."
Sampras, too, was awesome and his performance will have done little to settle the nerves of Sjeng Schalken, winner of the Auckland Tour title in 1999.
The Dutchman must face Sampras next after earlier beating Chilean Fernando Gonzalez 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-2) to reach his first Grand Slam semifinal.
Due on court at 7pm local time, Sampras and Roddick did not show up until more than half-an-hour later as the expectant Flushing Meadows crowd continued to filter in to Arthur Ashe stadium court.
By the time the players began brandishing their rackets, the atmosphere was hair-raising.
Roddick likes it that way, deliberately teasing his locks to stand high above the sun-visor fashionable with New York youths.
He took to the court, unshaven, in a bright blue shirt, all grimaces, gestures and lopsided grins.
Sampras was Sampras, straight as they come. White socks, white shorts, white shirt.
Nowadays he has less hair to play with than when he won his first Grand Slam here in 1990 - aged 12 months younger than Roddick's 20 years - but even in his hirsute heyday, he was never tempted by style statements.
On court, Sampras has always let his strokes do the talking. For 10 years they spoke louder and longer than anyone else, as he amassed a record 13 Grand Slam titles.
Since his 13th major, at Wimbledon in 2000, he has not won a title of any description. Yesterday, though, he was irrepressible.
Serving with authority and smothering the net at every opportunity, the 31-year-old outshone the brilliant floodlights on centre-stage.
Roddick had won both previous matches these two Americans had played, in Houston this year and in Miami last year.
Both those matches were in Association of Tennis Professionals Tour events, however, and by his own admission they are not what gets Sampras going these days.
Flushing Meadows is.
A prime-time Grand Slam quarter-final in front of a vibrant New York crowd is what Sampras dreams of, now that the lawns of Wimbledon no longer slake his thirst for success.
Sampras loved it, spectators were treated to a masterclass. Only Roddick looked as if he wished he were anywhere else.
The first set took 27 minutes; the second just two minutes longer.
Roddick, muttering to himself and rubbing his face, was running out of ideas fast.
As the second set closed, the 20-year-old dropped his racket and wailed in despair.
As soon as the third set began it was Sampras' turn to scream, a triumphant roar and a clenched fist accompanying another break of serve for 1-0.
Roddick was all but done as the crowd shifted uncomfortably in their seats. They had come for a battle and were served a massacre.
"Disappointing? Yes, I am trying to soak it all up at the moment," the youngster said.
"This is all still a learning experience. I watched what I should be doing on all the big points because I was on the other side of it."
Today, Serena and Venus Williams, dominating women's tennis the way Tiger Woods has taken command of golf, stalk their fourth finals showdown in the past five Grand Slam events in the semifinals.
World No 1 Serena, the reigning Wimbledon and French Open champion, faces fourth seed Lindsay Davenport and defending champion and second-ranked Venus takes on 10th seed Amelie Mauresmo, of France.
Davenport said: "They are definitely at a level above everyone else. They are the two best players in the world."
- AGENCIES
NEW YORK - Pete Sampras brought the flaming torch of American tennis to the United States Open yesterday, but instead of passing it to Andy Roddick, he scorched the young pretender.
In a prime-time clash of yesterday and tomorrow, Sampras proved he is best today, swaggering into the semifinals of the
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