Sampras, Larsson Go After Richest Prize: $1.5 Million

Pete Sampras and Magnus Larsson will play for the richest prize in tennis after taking vastly different routes Saturday to the final of the Grand Slam Cup.

Sampras, No. 1 in the world, took more than three hours and five long sets to beat Goran Ivanisevic.

Sampras, the champion here in 1990 and loser last year of another marathon in the semifinals, survived 41 aces by Ivanisevic and prevailed, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (7-5), 10-8.

In today’s final for the $1.5-million first prize, Sampras will meet Larsson, who cruised past Todd Martin, 6-4, 6-1, 6-1, in the other semifinal.

Larsson, the French Open semifinalist who helped Sweden clinch the Davis Cup title last weekend against Russia, won in only 75 minutes.

Sampras wasted two set points in the first set before allowing Ivanisevic to come back and win the set.

Sampras needed seven set points to finish off the second. And he wasted four match points before Ivanisevic hit a volley long that ended the match after 3 hours 22 minutes.

“I didn’t play the match points aggressively enough,” Sampras said after making sure of collecting at least the $750,000 guaranteed to the runner-up.

As winner of two Grand Slam event titles this year, in Australia and at Wimbledon, he will also collect a $250,000 bonus and could go home today $2 million richer.