Sampras’ Grit Fells New Brit : Wimbledon: Former Canadian Rusedski and his happy demeanor are sent packing by determined second-seeded player. Fernandez defeats best friend Davenport.

Pete Sampras does not suffer foolishness gladly. Thus, he was in an unusually serious mood before his fourth-round match Monday against Greg Rusedski, striding determinedly onto Centre Court.

His grimness was viewed as a result of the incessant hype surrounding Rusedski, a big-serving former Canadian who recently gained British citizenship. Rusedski was the only English player left in Wimbledon’s singles and his advance through the tournament and blatant courting of the English public has been an amusing--although in some quarters irritating--sideshow.

Sampras, the two-time defending champion, made short work of Rusedski, beating him, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5, and ensuring his place in the quarterfinals and today’s tabloids, amid lurid headlines.

In a drastically different match on a day that threatened rain, the emotionally tugging match between best friends Mary Joe Fernandez and Lindsay Davenport went to Fernandez, 7-6 (8-6), 6-1.

There was no burden of friendship between Sampras and Rusedski. Sampras, seeded second, hinted at his opinion of Rusedski’s flag of convenience last week when he said he refuses to give up his practice court to him.

One of Wimbledon’s many traditions is that Britain’s No. 1 player is allowed a court to himself when he practices--while other players often hit four to a court. Additionally, players already on a court must give up that court to the top British player.

Rusedski has been wildly cheered by fans and he smiles constantly on the court. After matches, he has flung all manner of gear to the crowd. But his act has worn thin. His new patriotism was applauded until it was revealed that he was paid by a newspaper to wear a Union Jack bandanna during his third-round match.

Andre Agassi has even joked at Rusedski’s new-found English accent and his use of such words as brilliant and lovely .

The top British players have shown some signs of backlash. Rusedski jumped a long line in becoming No. 1 and gaining the perks that go with it. On Monday, he was named to the British Davis Cup team. The British Lawn Tennis Assn. provides a house and a car for the No. 1 player, and what endorsement money there is can be expected to go to the top player.

It was reported that Rusedski, ranked No. 60 in the world, was offered more than $150,000 by the Canadian Tennis Assn. to stay in Montreal, where he has lived his entire life. Rusedski, 21, gained British citizenship through his mother, who lived in Yorkshire until she was 4 years old.

Sampras is not one to make a fuss or to approve of one. He has been asked all week to comment about Rusedski, but until Monday he refrained. He laughed when asked if players thought Rusedski had grown “too big for his britches” in the locker room.

Sampras said there was no hidden agenda to the match. “It was business as usual,” he said.

Pressed, however, Sampras finally said what he thought.

“I don’t know if it was something that I would do,” he said of Rusedski’s shift of allegiance. “He has to make his own decision, and he has to live with it. He has to deal with the British players, and I’m sure there is a little bit of animosity between the team. I’ve been reading a little bit about that. He’s got to live with it.”

As he had all last week, Rusedski blatantly played to the crowd. At first, he tried to engage Sampras in some light byplay. Sampras would have none of it. Later, Sampras also said he was trying to wipe Rusedski’s smile off.

Told of Sampras’ comment, Rusedski laughed and, of course, smiled.

“I’m sorry to say, he’s never going to wipe the smile off my face no matter what,” he said. “I’m going to have fun out there. If Pete doesn’t want to smile or show his emotions, that’s fine.”

Sampras has a long memory for that kind of talk. He appeared to make his point during the match by successfully returning Rusedski’s huge serve--which has been clocked here at 135 m.p.h.

Rusedski won the first game, on the strength of his serve, but that strength ultimately betrayed him. He doubled-faulted to lose the match.

Neither Davenport nor Fernandez appeared to want to win their match. Davenport won the toss then asked Fernandez what she wanted to do, serve or receive.

“It was a pretty tough match to play, for both of us, emotionally,” said Davenport, who was seeded seventh. “Obviously, we both played pretty bad. She played better. But, you know, it wasn’t the easiest thing I have ever had to do.

“It doesn’t sound like that big a deal--’She plays her friend, blah, blah, blah.’ But she’s pretty much like my sister. I know everything she’s gone through and bad things, and she knows everything that I have gone through. It was kind of weird out there. I think we both felt sorry for each other.”

As if they didn’t want the set to end, neither player could decisively close out a point or game, and the tiebreaker was a disaster, as neither player could win a point off her serve. Davenport double-faulted twice and twice held set points before losing.

“The first set was a very important set mentally,” Fernandez said. “It was one of those sets where you have a ton of chances and you’re not getting that break. After the first set, I think she got a little more discouraged.”

Fernandez won the match with a put-away volley and slowly walked to the net, where the players embraced.

“It was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be,” Fernandez said. “It’s hard playing a good friend. You go out there and you’re a little nervous. You don’t get too excited when you’re winning, you don’t get too down when you’re losing. So, it’s strange. It’s not a common feeling you have out there, and you know it’s happening at the other side of the net.”

Fernandez, seeded No. 13, earned the right to play top-seeded Steffi Graf in the quarterfinals.

Wimbledon Notes

Jacco Eltingh of the Netherlands upset seventh-seeded Wayne Ferreira of South Africa, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3. In a close match, fourth-seeded Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia defeated 14th-seeded Todd Martin, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Also, Shuzo Matsuoka became the first Japanese man to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal since 1933 when he defeated Michael Joyce, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.

In women’s play, Lisa Raymond had a great chance to upset eighth-seeded Gabriela Sabatini. Sabatini was down, 5-3, in the third set but won 13 of the next 14 points and took the match, 6-0, 3-6, 7-5.