6-Pack for Sampras as He Remains No. 1

The final obstacle evaporated Thursday, and Pete Sampras left the company of Jimmy Connors and stood alone at the pinnacle of tennis.

Call it six-Pete.

For an unprecedented sixth consecutive year, Sampras will finish the season ranked No. 1, breaking his tie with Connors, who ended the season at No. 1 from 1974-78. The way Sampras has played this week in the ATP Championships at Hanover, Germany--winning all three of his matches in group play in convincing fashion--his hold on the top spot seemed inevitable.

But it became official Thursday when his only remaining challenger for the 1998 No. 1 ranking, Marcelo Rios of Chile, withdrew from the tournament because of a lower back injury. Rios needed to win at least two matches in group play to stay in contention, and Tuesday he dropped his opener against Tim Henman of England.

Sampras celebrated his achievement Thursday night by turning in a sublime performance against Karol Kucera, defeating the Slovakian, 6-2, 6-1, in 45 minutes. With the pressure lifted, he seemed to spend most of the match airborne.

Afterward, Sampras received a cake in the shape of No. 6 with a tennis ball inside the number’s circle. Champagne was poured--a lot of it over Sampras’ head. He, in turn, showered ATP Tour chief Mark Miles and promoter Ion Tiriac.

“I don’t think it is a big weight off my shoulders,” Sampras said from Hanover. “If anything, this is much different than winning a Wimbledon or a U.S. Open. This is more of a career achievement. This year was really my only chance I was going to be able to break this record.

“After the U.S. Open, after coming up short there, I realized I was going to have to play more. I was over here for six weeks and it was well worth it. It’s an example of what it takes to get there and to stay there. You have to commit yourself and sacrifice yourself and that’s what I’ve done over the course of my career.”

The record obviously rewards consistency and the ability to stay free of major injuries. Sampras has mixed in brilliance as well, winning at least one of the four Grand Slam titles in each of the six years. Twice, he won two. This year, he won Wimbledon for the fifth time and said it was the turning point in his season.

Had Rios supplanted Sampras for the year-end No. 1 ranking, it would have seemed, to some, a bit hollow. Rios, who interrupted Sampras’ run at No. 1 for six weeks this year, has not won a Grand Slam title.

Through the six years, Sampras has had to fend off an intriguing variety of challengers. Five players have finished No. 2 in the year-end rankings during his reign: Rios this year, Patrick Rafter in 1997, Michael Chang in 1996, Andre Agassi in 1994 and 1995 and Michael Stich in 1993. The last person other than Sampras to finish the year at No. 1 was Jim Courier in 1992.

It stung Sampras that his quest did not attract more attention.

“This record, like I said, it’s going to be hard to come close to it,” he said. “That’s why, in some ways, it’s disappointing there wasn’t too much American media here. People who have been No. 1 know how difficult it is to stay there. From the sports world, I think it’s going to make news, not quite the magnitude of the Mark McGwire record.

“To do this six years, people that know tennis know you probably might not ever see a record like this broken. That’s why I put a lot of emphasis on doing that this year. . . . It was disappointing for me as an American breaking another American’s record, that there wasn’t too much media over here. Because it might not ever happen again. I know Hanover is not Wimbledon, but it’s still a great story if I break it or not break it.”

Earlier in the year, Sampras said he was not obsessed with winning the French Open, that it wasn’t like him to become fixated on a single goal. Something obviously changed this fall. He made a passionate and determined charge at the finish line, playing six consecutive weeks in Europe--the first time since 1990 he has played six weeks in a row.

The chase itself became fascinating, as in, where would he show up next? Boris Becker graciously gave him his wild card at Vienna, Austria, and Sampras went on to win. He survived the scare of a back injury in the middle of his European Adventure.

It became overwhelming.

“There was a time when I was over here, my fourth, fifth and sixth week, I was very consumed with the race,” he said. “It was hard not to be. Every press conference and interview was talking about the race. The fact I was over here for six weeks, something I’ve never done, just kind of showed me and showed everyone it was really important.

“I just had to give myself the best chance possible. I felt that it was a do-or-die situation.”

The moment of truth and triumph, oddly, did not come on the tennis court on Thursday. Sampras, aware of Rios’ medical condition, tried to block out the problems of his only remaining rival for No. 1.

“I was sitting in my room, eating some spaghetti, and kind of saw on the TV that he pulled out,” Sampras said. “It’s ironic. I thought I was going to have to win this event or win a couple more matches or something and here I was sitting in my hotel room and that’s how I found out.”

Already assured of reaching the semifinals of an event he has won four times, he then went out and crushed Kucera.

He’ll be joined in the semifinals by Henman, who advanced by defeating Alex Corretja of Spain, 7-6 (7-4), 6-7, (4-7), 6-2.

Greg Rusedski of Britain, who replaced Agassi in the field after Agassi dropped out Wednesday because of a back injury, won the day’s other match, defeating Albert Costa of Spain, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.

But the day--and the night--belonged to Sampras, who said it had been awhile since he felt so loose on the court.

“Today was obviously a great day and I just had some fun,” he said. “I was swinging away. . . . I’ve been playing well all week and obviously tonight I wanted to stay sharp. I played a little bit better than I thought I would.”

The most surprising thing was that no one in Germany mentioned the possibility of a seventh consecutive year at No. 1. Sampras laughed, saying: “No, thank God.”

He wants to savor No. 6 . . . for a few minutes at least.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Sampras Is No. 1

Most consecutive times ending year as top-ranked men’s player:

6--Pete Sampras (1993-98)

5--Jimmy Connors (1974-78)

4--John McEnroe (1981-84)

3--Ivan Lendl (1985-87)

2--Bjorn Borg (1979-80)

2--Stefan Edberg (1990-91)

Most No. 1 Finishes for Women

Most consecutive times ending year as No. 1 ranked women’s player:

5--Martina Navratilova (1982-86)

4--Steffi Graf (1987-90)

4--Steffi Graf (1993-96)

3--Chris Evert (1975-77)

2--Margaret Court (1969-70)

2--Martina Navratilova (1978-79)

2--Chris Evert (1980-81)

2--Monica Seles (1991-92)