Sampras Now Must Stand Pat

It all makes such full-circle sense. One serving-and-volleying Aussie, a mate’s mate, really, is all that’s left between Pete Sampras and his quest to surpass the record of a legendary Australian.

Patrick Rafter is the last man for Sampras to beat, to reach the lofty heights of a 13th Grand Slam singles title. Sampras tied record-holder Roy Emerson with No. 12 about a year ago, winning Wimbledon on July 4, beating Andre Agassi in the final.

The 12th-seeded Rafter eliminated the possibility of another epic Sampras-Agassi final with an epic performance himself Friday at Wimbledon. Rafter, who contemplated retirement when he struggled after shoulder surgery last year, defeated the second-seeded Agassi in a sublime semifinal, winning, 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, in 3 hours 9 minutes. He is the first Australian to reach the Wimbledon final since Pat Cash, who won in 1987.

In the second semifinal, the top-seeded Sampras found himself in pain because of his inflamed left shin but withstood some inspired shot-making from qualifier Vladimir Voltchkov of Belarus. Sampras, who needs painkilling shots before each match, won 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-4.

“It’s been different,” Sampras said. “It’s definitely been a struggle. I’m still here, and I’m obviously happy that I’ve gotten to this point.”

Rafter, likewise, was thrilled. His rotator cuff problems were career-threatening, and as recently as May, he was quite pessimistic, saying: “I’m going to give it till the end of the year, just to see if I’m not flogging a dead horse.”

Tony Roche, his coach at Grand Slams, offered technical support and Davis Cup captain John Newcombe motivational inspiration. Even a year ago, Newcombe thought Rafter, the two-time U.S. Open champion, had the classic game to succeed on grass. He lost to Agassi in straight sets in the semifinals, but it represented a career breakthrough.

“I’m not sure he believed before that he could do it on grass,” Newcombe said. “I think it was a matter of Pat making the commitment he was going to go for it. He was just going through a period where he was too scared to practice a lot. But because he wasn’t practicing and training he was losing early in the matches, so it was going nowhere.”

Rafter also learned something from his loss to Agassi in 1999. Instead of chipping and charging at every opportunity, he mixed it up, engaging in baseline rallies and lulling Agassi with a slice backhand with little pace.

Most impressively, his first-serve percentage got better as the match went along. In the fifth set, it reached 80% at one point before dropping back to 74%. He had 18 aces, including three in his last two service games.

A few specific points do not always equal a victory, but three of them had a lot to do with Rafter winning the fifth set. At 2-2, 15-15, Rafter hit a lunging backhand volley, tumbling to the grass and rolling over twice. It was the most emotional moment of the match as he got up and clenched his fists. He would lose only one more game.

The other key moments were in the next game. Rafter got to break point by hitting a classic backhand cross-court winner and then Agassi double-faulted, hitting his second serve wide. Rafter then led, 4-2.

“You don’t win Slams by getting careful at those moments,” Agassi said. “You have to pick your opportunities. At 30-30, 2-3 in the fifth, I just went for a 97-mph serve to his forehand. It was breezy out there and it got away from me. But I think it was the right call. I had to bring my game at him and hope that it went well.”

Said Rafter: “Today was a match that I couldn’t have played any better under any circumstances, on a big court against one of the best players ever. I think it was just probably very satisfying to have actually done it on those grounds.”

Perhaps a hint should have been this statistic: Rafter is now 13-3 in five-set matches. He has won 12 consecutive completed five-set matches. (This does not include the 1999 U.S. Open first-round match when he retired after the first game of the fifth set against Cedric Pioline.)

“He draws the line, he draws the line in the sand and says, ‘I’m not going back. You’re going to have to kill me,’ ” Newcombe said. “And he gets his teeth into it and he won’t let go.”

Rafter was trying not to dwell on the improbable journey from career oblivion.

“It’s been a long road back,” he said. “That’s the most satisfying part about it. Now I’m back in the final. It has probably been a big shock. But I don’t want to think about it right now. I want to go ahead with the job and put in my best on Sunday.”

Rafter--whose parents, Jim and Jocelyn, are flying in from Australia for the final--may have seemed cool and collected, but his older brother Peter gave it all away after the match when Rafter was still in the locker room.

“He’s so excited down there, he’s like a little kid again,” Peter Rafter said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Double Duty

Only six players have defeated Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi in the same ATP Tour tournament. No one has done it in a Grand Slam:

* 1990--Toronto: Michael Chang def. Agassi in quarterfinals and Sampras in semifinals.

* 1990--ATP Championships (Frankfurt): Stefan Edberg def. Agassi and Sampras in round robin.

* 1994--Grand Slam Cup (Munich): Magnus Larsson def. Agassi in quarterfinals and Sampras in final.

* 1998--ATP Championships (Hanover): Alex Corretja def. Agassi in round robin and Sampras in semifinals.

* 1998--Stuttgart: Richard Krajicek def. Agassi in third round and Sampras in semifinals.

* 1999--Scottsdale: Jan-Michael Gambill def. Sampras in second round and Agassi in semifinals.

WOMEN’S FINAL

6 a.m. today

Channel 4

No. 2

LINDSAY DAVENPORT

Right-hander, 24, born in Palos Verdes, and lives in Newport Beach . . . Ranked No. 1 for 28 weeks between October 1998 and May 2000. . . . Won 1999 Wimbledon singles and doubles.

vs. No. 5

VENUS WILLIAMS

Right-hander, 20, born in Lynwood; lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. . . . Reached a career- high No. 3 ranking in August 1999. . . . Reached 1997 U.S. Open final, losing to Martina Hingis. . . . Recorded fastest serve in WTA Tour history at 127 mph.

MEN’S FINAL

No. 1

PETE SAMPRAS

vs. No. 12

PATRICK RAFTER

6 a.m. Sunday

Channel 4