BY MICHAEL PERRY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Pete Sampras had to go three sets to beat Magnus Larsson.
(Saed Hindash photo)
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MASON -- This did not come easily. Not at all.
Defending champion Pete Sampras sweated through a 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 victory over Magnus Larsson on Saturday night to advance to the final of the Great American Insurance ATP Championship for the second consecutive year.
Sampras, No. 2 in the world and the top seed, finished with 20 aces and needed them all.
Larsson, who had beaten Sampras three consecutive times, was trying to become the first unseeded finalist here since Chris Lewis in 1981.
"I felt not very much in control of the match," Sampras said. "He was playing big tennis. I knew it was going to be a good fight, so I was prepared."
Make no mistake, Sampras had to work for this one.
Sampras, who had only allowed two break points the whole tournament and had never had his serve broken, watched Larsson break him twice. Sampras had not dropped a set in Cincinnati since 1996, but he lost the second set in 25 minutes. After saving two break points, Larsson reached his first set point and fired a 122-mph ace.
"He just steamrolled me," Sampras said. "His serve is devastating."
"I just didn't win the important points," Magnus Larsson said.
(Saed Hindash photo)
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The first set was a classic duel between two hard servers rocketing regularly in the 120-mph range. At one point, Larsson had won 16 consecutive points on his serve. He ended up with 15 aces.
Both players held serve until the last game of the set. Sampras led 6-5 but had scored just three points on Larsson's serve.
But after Larsson took a 30-love lead, Sampras got three straight points to reach set point. Larsson ripped a 124-mph ace for deuce. Then he double-faulted, and Sampras pounced. On the next point, Larsson knocked Sampras' service return into the net.
Sampras had 13 aces in the first set.
"I just didn't win the important points," Larsson said.
The second set was unlike the first.
Pete Sampras gets pumped up.
(AP photo)
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Larsson broke Sampras in the first game. Then ahead 3-1, he broke Sampras again. It was going three.
The key to breaking Sampras? "Be lucky," Larsson said. "Just close your eyes and hope there's a god. I have to be a little religious to break his serve."
Sampras held serve in the third set to lead 1-0, then broke Larsson's first serve. Showing why he is considered the best in the world, Sampras chased down a drop shot to his left side and flicked a back-hand across his body to the opposite court for a winner. Sampras pumped his fists.
"That was a huge turning point in the match," he said.
At deuce in the third game, Sampras ripped a 125-mph ace, prompting Larsson to kick the ball into the stands in frustration. Sampras then drilled a 119-mph ace for the game-winner. It was 3-0.
Sampras broke Larsson again. The rest of the match was a blur.
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