Agassi, Sampras in Independence fight

In the women’s meanwhile, it will be the one and only Steffi Graf, who has already played eight finals here, against world number one Lindsay Davenport. Third seed Davenport and second seed Graf snuffed out the pretensions of the lastsurviving soldiers of the teen brigade in classical fashion. Graf defeated Mirjana Lucic 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-3, while Davenport made it a one-sided semi-final, allowing just two games to qualifier Alexandra Stevenson.

Yet, Sampras is faced with a strange irony. He may win his sixth title here but will lose out on the number one ranking when the rankings come out on Monday. Agassi has already grabbed that after he beat second seed Pat Rafter in the semifinals 7-5, 7-6 (2), 6-2.

Sampras, after that escape to victory over Mark Philippoussis in the quarter-finals, quietly, and rather menacingly, showed the local hero Tim Henman his place with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win.

“Ranking is secondary at this point,” Sampras said. “Andre and I want to hold up the cup and that’s what’s on our minds.”

Henman, touted as a British player who could win here and give the Fred Perry statue here some respite (fans keep looking at it hoping he would come alive and win it again), was simply outplayed and outthought by the topseed. The British number one was supported by a packed centre court crowd, who perhaps believed Henman had improved to such an extent that he could pack off Sampras from Wimbledon.

When he won the first set, the crowd went hysterical. When Sampras broke in the second set there was a marked reduction in volume; and when Sampras finally began to run away with the match, a certain hush, almost mournful, fell over centre court.

It is Agassi’s tremendous fightback from an all-time low ranking of 142 to the number one which makes him the hot favourite. “I played about as good as I could play and about as big a match as you can have, short of tomorrow,” Agassi said. “We have had a history since we were in the juniors,” Sampras said. “With our different games and personalities it’s a great matchup. It’s always a little different when I step on the court with him. Andre has made me a better player. There was a time, three years ago, when he was beating me consistently and I had to add things to my game. I’mplaying the best return of serve of all time and hopefully I can serve a little better and get the first serves in,”Sampras said.

“I think they (crowd) get a good sense that we hate each other and has caused a lot of grief for the other one’s career,” Agassi joked.

Paes-Raymond advance, Graf-McEnroe pull out

Top seeds Leander Paes of India and Lisa Raymond (US) advanced to the semi-finals of the mixed doubles draw with a straight sets 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win over US pair Bob Bryan and Lisa McShea. In earlier part of the day, Paes-Raymond defeated Pablo Albano (Argentina) and Manon Bollegraf (Netherlands) 7-6, (7-2), 6-2. It was Paes’s third match of the day after playing men’s doubles and mixed doubles pre-quarterfinals. Disappointingly, ninth seeds Steffi Graf and John McEnroe have pulled out of the event, as the German is nursing a thigh strain. Graf said it was a precautionary move. Graf and McEnroe were to have faced Anna Kournikova and Jonas Bjorkman, who now advance to thefinal.

Results

Men singles (SF): 1-Pete Sampras (US) bt 6-Tim Henman (GBr) 3-6 6-4 6-3 6-4; 4-Andre Agassi (US) bt 2-Pat Rafter (Aus) 7-5 7-6 (5) 6-2.

Men doubles (SF): 1-Leander Paes & Mahesh Bhupathi (Ind) bt 5-Olivier Delaitre (Fra) & Fabrice Santoro (Fra) 2-6 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 7-5; 8-Paul Haarhius (Ned) & Jared Palmer (US) bt Mark Knowles (Bah) & Daniel Nestor (Can) 3-6 7-5 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 8-6.

Women singles (SF): 2-Steffi Graf (Ger) bt Mirjana Lucic (Croat) 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 6-3; 3-Lindsay Davenport (US) bt Alexandra Stevenson (US) 6-1 6-1.

Women doubles (SF): Mariaan De Swardt (SA) & Elena Tatarkova (Ukr) bt 1-Jana Novotna (Cze) & Natasha Zvereva (Blr) 6-4 2-6 7-5; 7-Lindsay Davenport & Corina Morariu (US) bt Liezel Horn (SA) & Katarina Srebotnik (Slo) 7-6 (7-0) 6-3.

Mixed doubles (SF): 3-Anna Kournikova (Rus) & Jonas Bjorkman (Swed) w/o 9-Steffi Graf (Ger) & John McEnroe (US); (QF): Kournikova & Bjorkman bt 6-Rick Leach (US) & Larisa Neiland (Lat)7-6 (8-6) 4-6 6-3; 4-Mark Knowles (Bah) & Elena Likhovtseva (Rus) bt Martin Damm (Cze) & Barbara Rittner (Ger) 6-3 7-5; McEnroe & Graf (Ger) bt Venus Williams & Justin Gimelstob (US) 6-4 6-3; (PQF): 1-Leander Paes (Ind) & Lisa Raymond (US) bt Pablo Albano (Arg) & Manon Bollegraf (Ned) 7-6 (7-4) 6-2; Bob Bryan (US) & Lisa McShea (Aus) bt 10-Wayne Black & Cara Black (Zim) 4-6 6-3 6-3.

FINAL HEAD TO HEAD

Men’s final: Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi have played each other 23 times, and Sampras leads the count 13-10. Sampras won the only time they met on grass, in the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 1993, in five sets.

Women’s final: Steffi Graf and Lindsay Davenport have had 13 earlier showdowns, and Graf leads the count 8-5. This is the first time they meet on grass.