Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 2, 1994 TAG: 9407020038
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE: WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND LENGTH: Medium
Sampras, the 22-year-old defending champion, dropped his first set of the tournament and got in only 55 percent of his first serves, but almost everything else worked in a 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 triumph over fellow American Todd Martin.
"We didn't play great by any means, either one of us," Sampras said. "So it's a good one to get through."
Ivanisevic, the 22-year-old lefthander from Croatia, never was in serious trouble against Boris Becker in his 6-2, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 victory. The German, who had been accused of nasty gamesmanship by several previous foes, behaved impeccably in the face of a 22-ace barrage and at least that many other lightning bolt serves he had no chance to return.
"You know, I'm not exhausted at all," Becker said. "I could go out for a run just to get tired a little bit. Next time around I'd like to play a guy who's not as hot as Ivanisevic or Sampras . . . play a guy where I can rally a little bit, where I can play tennis and not someone who serves so many aces who doesn't give me any chance."
Ivanisevic has played a final on Centre Court before, losing to Andre Agassi here in 1992. Friday, he hit 63 percent of his first serves in and Becker also had problems with the high-kicking second.
In the tiebreaker to decide the second set, Ivanisevic, initially trailing 1-3, hit two aces on the way to 6-6, pounded an almost unhittable serve for a 7-6 advantage, then had a booming return of a Becker second serve the German volleyed wide for the set.
He used similar back-to-back passing shots to break Becker in the third game of the third set. Becker could manage only four total points on Ivanisevic's serve thereafter.
Sampras was complaining about his own serving Friday, even if he did have 11 aces. The count would have been much higher had he not been playing the 6-foot-6 Martin, whose wide wingspan allowed him to at least get his racket on some of Sampras' rocket shots.
"I need to serve better," Sampras said. "I've got to use my biggest shot and use it to my advantage, because I didn't today."
After the match, Martin left the court feeling queasy and reportedly was treated for a stomach disorder.
Little wonder. In four of his five previous matches, Martin needed five sets to win, a first for any semifinalist in tournament history. He said he came out "a little flat" for the match, but praised Sampras for being "solid straight through, which is what you have to be."
In the first set, trailing 4-3 and down a break, Martin had three break points to get back in the match, but lost each. Sampras won the game when Martin hit a backhand passing shot wide. Two games later, after falling behind 0-30, Sampras won the next four points, the last on an ace.
In the second set, Sampras's brilliant return of service allowed him to break Martin in the fifth game. Then he gave up only three more points off his own service, winning the second set with an ace, too.
Martin finally broke through for the first time in the second game of the third set. He clobbered a backhand return of serve down the line to take a 2-0 advantage, only to get broken back when he double faulted down two break points in the fifth game. Sampras double faulted himself to give Martin a 5-3 lead, then almost got back into the set on Martin's next service game.
Sampras managed to get to deuce with a forehand passing shot off a weak Martin volley. But Martin held on for the game and the set when he aced Sampras for the advantage, then closed him out with a huge first serve Sampras could only pop high in the air.
Martin swooped in for the kill with a resounding smash, and Sampras's hopes of becoming the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1976 to go through Wimbledon without losing a set had ended.
Sampras took a tumble late in the third set and came up limping. He said later he slightly sprained his right ankle, but that a day off and a tight tape job would be sufficient to get him through Sunday's final.
Certainly he was fit in the decisive fourth set. Sampras broke Martin in the fourth game when the big man botched an easy putaway volley on a Sampras mis-hit. The ball landed a foot deep behind the baseline for a 3-1 Sampras advantage.
Sampras won the set on his own serve despite a threat from Martin, who had five break points in the last game. Sampras saved two of them with aces, and finally won the match with a classic backhand volley down the line.
Now, it's Sampras against Ivanisevic on Sunday. Ivanisevic has won five of the eight matches they've played and three of the last four, including a '92 semifinal at Wimbledon.
"He doesn't like playing me," Ivanisevic said. "Pete can also beat me easy, but he doesn't like the lefty serve. He's very confident at the moment, but he's not unbeatable."
Keywords:
TENNIS
by CNB