Uncrowning Achievement: Krajicek Defeats Sampras

Whatever warm sentiments tennis players may harbor for Wimbledon, and whatever success they have been allowed here, they eventually learn that what is given can also be taken away.

Even as tradition is revered, it gives way to reality.

All that Pete Sampras has earned here--his humbling first three years in which he moved awkwardly on grass and won only one match, then his three consecutive singles titles--has not been taken back but merely interrupted.

It happened Thursday when Richard Krajicek won their rain-delayed quarterfinal match that stretched over two days, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) 6-4, and ended Sampras’ 26-match Wimbledon win streak.

The loss also ended Sampras’ quest to match Bjorn Borg’s unequaled feat of five consecutive titles.

The messy, two-day men’s quarterfinals ended in the rain Thursday, with the loss of the top-seeded Sampras as well as the fourth-seeded Goran Ivanisevic, who was beaten by unseeded Jason Stoltenberg of Australia, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-3).

Fittingly, two Americans won on the Fourth of July. Unseeded MaliVai Washington defeated unseeded Alex Radulescu of Germany, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-1), 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, and 13th-seeded Todd Martin defeated the unseeded British hope, Tim Henman, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-2), 6-4.

In this most unpredictable of Wimbledons, only Martin remains of the tournament’s 16 seeded players. The last time three unseeded players made it to the Wimbledon semifinals was 1967. None of the semifinalists have reached a Grand Slam final.

Rain halted play during two of the matches Wednesday and for several hours it appeared that, again Thursday, no match would be completed. Martin’s match was halted four times because of rain and Washington’s was stopped five times.

The rain, and the injury of a groundsman during his match Wednesday night, left Sampras on the edge of a precipice, two sets down at his most loved Grand Slam event. Krajicek was there, as well, and the Dutch player was the more confident, relaxed man when the match restarted Thursday.

“I just felt like it was slipping away,” Sampras said. He failed to convert on six break points in the first set and gained only one after that.

“I felt maybe my time had come. It’s so hard to accept sometimes. I think when I get home it will hit me. Right now, it’s just happened so it’s hard to reflect. This place has been so good to me, really, these past few years I’ve won so many close matches. Today and yesterday all I can say is it just didn’t happen for me. It’s hard to swallow.”

Krajicek, ranked No. 14 but unseeded here, sizzled despite the cold and wind on Centre Court. Nothing fazed the 24-year-old. Krajicek served 29 aces and Sampras--who usually excels in the department--had eight aces and eight double faults.

The 6-foot-5 Krajicek dominated Sampras in return of service--another rare event.

Sampras was always in peril during the match. Krajicek’s backhand passing shots, in particular, were effective and Sampras never solved their riddle.

Krajicek is far from a new face, but he missed this year’s Australian Open because of a back injury and only recently has shown intimations of reaching his enormous potential.

“It’s a proud feeling that I’m the first person in four years to beat him at Wimbledon, and on Centre Court, where he’s had his great successes,” Krajicek said.

Sampras, who last month lost in the French Open semifinals, faced difficult draws both in Paris and here. He was subdued but realistic and typically gracious in defeat.

“My hat is off to Richard,” Sampras said. “He played flat-out better than I did in the past couple of days. I have nothing to be ashamed about. I ran into a player who was very hot and played very well. I didn’t play great. He was the better man.”

The other seeded player to lose was less cool, but that’s expected with Ivanisevic, who stalked off the court immediately after his loss. Stoltenberg was delighted to win and looking forward to playing Krajicek in the semifinal.

The two Americans will meet in the other match. Martin advanced after a tenacious and tense match with Henman, whose loss broke the hearts of a legion of British fans.

It couldn’t have been much closer. There was only one service break in the three sets, which took six hours to complete because of incessant rain.

Washington had a similar battle with Radulescu. The five-set match had three tiebreakers. Washington saved two match points in the fourth set.

In a tight fifth set, at a tense moment with Washington serving at 4-all, Radulescu gave Washington a point on a shot that had been called out and that Washington contested.

“That was probably the biggest show of sportsmanship by any athlete I’ve ever seen,” Washington said. “I think only one guy on the tour would have done that, and it was him.”

* GRAF IN TROUBLE: Top-seeded Steffi Graf split two sets with Kimiko Date before darkness came and after Arantxa Sanchez Vicario had easily advanced to the women’s final. C4