Sampras, Rafter Make Early Exits

Pete Sampras and Patrick Rafter, the world’s top two tennis players, didn’t last one round in the $1-million Swiss Indoors tournament.

No. 1-ranked Sampras was toppled by nemesis Wayne Ferreira of South Africa, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, Wednesday, only hours after No. 2 Rafter was eliminated by No. 44-ranked Daniel Vacek of the Czech Republic, 7-6 (9-7), 7-5.

“I’m very disappointed,” said Sampras, who accepted a wild card in an effort to finish atop the rankings this year. “It can’t get much worse than this. . . . I’m sitting here trying to regroup and wondering, hey, what happened?”

Said Ferreira, who has defeated Sampras the last four times they’ve played: “He started off strong . . . But when I broke him in the second set I could see him getting down on himself.”

Rafter seemed to struggle on the indoor carpet, serving well but laboring in his return game against Vacek. “My game is more suited to a hard court, and if I want to become world No. 1 I’ll have to learn how to play on all surfaces,” Rafter said.