BY MICHAEL PERRY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Patrick Rafter holds his tropy and check after Sunday's win in Mason.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
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MASON -- Patrick Rafter was preparing for the worst.
Midway through the second set Sunday, the 25-year-old Australian didn't like his chances. Pete Sampras had dominated the first set, and Rafter felt like he was just hanging on.
"I was going through my losing speech," Rafter said later. He never needed it.
Rafter rallied. He won a second-set tiebreaker and went on to win the Great American Insurance ATP Championship title 1-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 in an often thrilling, sometimes tense 2-hour, 22-minute match.
Rafter, the 1997 U.S. Open champion, is on an unprecedented roll.
He has won a career-high 10 straight matches and back-to-back Mercedes Super 9 titles; he won in Toronto last week. He is 20-2 since mid-June and his four ATP Tour titles this year are the most for an Australian since Rod Laver in 1975.
"When you're playing like this, you don't know how to lose," Rafter said. "It's a funny feeling. All the breaks go your way. Winning becomes a habit."
A splendid afternoon of tennis ended on a sour note when Sampras disputed Rafter's match-winning ace. After it was ruled out, chair umpire Lars Graff overruled the call. Sampras stared him down and remained at the baseline for a while before going to shake Rafter's hand.
He then gave Graff a piece of his mind. It was uncharacteristic, to say the least.
Pete Sampras stares at chiar umpare Lars Graff after he called Rafter's serve in, ending the singles title match.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
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"I was upset," Sampras said. "You guys feel like I'm some sort of robot out there and I feel nothing. That's not the case." Rafter thought the serve was in. Barely. He immediately began to raise his arms, then saw the line judge signal out. He was pleased by the overrule, but disappointed by the scene. He wasn't even sure Sampras was going to meet him at the net.
"It took that spark away from the end," Rafter said. "It was my occasion. It was my time. I want to enjoy it."
The eventful ending did nothing to take away from Rafter's tremendous comeback. It was the first three-set ATP Championship final since 1993.
Rafter, ranked No. 3 in the world and the No. 5 seed, had lost eight straight to No. 2-ranked Sampras and had not beaten him in five years. The first set was all Sampras and did nothing to indicate this outcome would be any different.
The defending ATP champion broke Rafter's first serve. He later broke his third serve to go up 5-1. After Sampras' winner into an open court, Rafter playfully tossed his racket at ballboy Chad Little and signaled him to go out on the court and continue the match. Rafter assumed Little's position in front of the stands.
"I thought the crowd wasn't really getting their money's worth," Rafter said, "(and) I might as well enjoy it."
Rafter was down but not out. He thought he was hitting the ball well. He was loose.
After the first set, he decided that Sampras' backhand couldn't miss. Rafter, who doesn't travel with a coach, figured he'd take a chance, begin attacking Sampras' forehand and hope for the best. Rafter held serve throughout the second set and took Sampras to a tiebreaker. It was the eighth tiebreaker between the two, and Rafter had not won one since 1995.
After splitting the first four points, Rafter hit a 120-mph ace and went on to win five consecutive points. The first set was over in 27 minutes; the second took more than an hour.
"We play so similar," Sampras said. "We both play real attacking tennis. Attacking players have always given me trouble."
The deciding set was going along just as the second. But at 4-4 with Sampras serving, Rafter got the edge. It was 15-40 after a Sampras double fault, and Rafter had two big break points.
Patrick Rafter pumps his fists after breaking Pete Sampras' serve in the third set.
(Saed Hindash photo)
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Sampras got a service winner after a 125-mph serve. Sampras served and came to the net on the next point. Rafter drilled a winner down the line for game point. It put him ahead 5-4 with his serve next. He fell behind love-30, but scored the next four points. When it was over, he hit the ball into the stands. Sampras, who is 55-16 in tournament finals in his career, lost an opportunity to move back to No. 1 in the ATP Tour computer rankings today. He will stay No. 2 -- behind Marcelo Rios -- and Rafter will hold at No. 3.
"This time I sort of found a way to get back into it," Rafter said. "I think it's important. If you let guys keep beating you all the time, it's not a great feeling."
Rafter defeated three straight top-10 players (Sampras, No. 10 Yevgeny Kafelnikov and No. 4 Petr Korda) on his way to the ATP title. Rafter was the first Australian to reach the final since the tournament moved to Mason in 1979.
