TENNIS AUSTRALIAN OPEN : Sampras Eliminates Mayotte; McEnroe Coasts

Pete Sampras isn’t in a rush.

Tuesday, he endured a 4-hour 59-minute match to upset sixth-seeded Tim Mayotte, 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (5-7), 4-6, 7-5, 12-10, in the first round of the Australian Open.

It was the longest singles match in the tournament’s history, eight minutes longer than a 1988 match between Yannick Noah and Roger Smith.

At 18, Sampras can afford to be patient. The serve-and-volley player from Palos Verdes is only 58th in the rankings, far lower than high-profile teen-agers Michael Chang and Andre Agassi, but Sampras is steadily building his reputation.

The victory was his second in a week over Mayotte, who beat him in straight sets in a tuneup tournament in Sydney.

“I feel that I’ll start to play my best tennis in my early 20s and reach my peak in my mid-20s,” Sampras said. “I’m pleased with where I am right now. It wasn’t realistic for me to be anywhere else.

“Agassi and Chang both deserve to be in the top 10, but the pressure is on them to stay there. I’m content to relax and make my way up slowly.”

Sampras kept Mayotte off balance, and despite his admitted “mental lapses” in the second and third sets, was pleased with his play.

A 20-minute rain delay in the fifth set gave Mayotte, 29, a chance to get back into the match. When the showers came, Sampras led, 4-1.

“He came back like a different player,” Sampras said. “I feel very fortunate and lucky to have won the match after the way he returned.”

Mayotte came back to tie, but his downfall came on his serve when he double-faulted to set up match point for Sampras and then double-faulted again moments later to end the match.

“I think a lot of the players on the tour know that Tim has a pretty shaky second serve, and I took advantage of that,” Sampras said. “I broke him when I needed to.”

Meanwhile, John McEnroe wasted no time, using his deft touch to defeat Thierry Tulasne of France, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1.

“Tulasne had an off day,” McEnroe said. “He didn’t put too much on the ball. It was just like playing Ping-Pong. If I could play that style every match, I’d bet my life savings every time (I’d win).”

McEnroe, coming off an exhibition tournament victory over No. 3 Stefan Edberg, rated himself as a longshot to win the tournament.

“It takes an awful lot to win a major tournament,” McEnroe said. “If I thought about all it took, I’d psych myself out.”

In other first-round matches, No. 9 Andres Gomez of Ecuador beat Australian Darren Cahill, 4-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3; No. 12 Noah of France struggled past Yugoslav Goran Prpic, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 4-6, 7-5; and No. 15 Thomas Muster of Austria beat West German Pavel Vojtisek, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

In women’s play, second-seeded Gabriela Sabatini beat Amy Frazier of Rochester Hills, Mich., 7-5, 6-1. Top-seeded Steffi Graf got by American amateur Carrie Cunningham, 6-2, 7-5.