Wimbledon, July 8: ``This is the Wimbledon final. He's going for his record. I'm just trying to fine done here,'' was what an intense Pat Rafter had to say after his taking out second seed Andre Agassi in the first semi-final here on Friday. Though Sampras is aiming to become the first man ever to capture 13 Grand Slam crowns, Rafter would probably want this one as much. Not just because it's Wimbledon, or because he has to prove something after being out of the sport from August 1999 to the end of the year through injury. This may just be a defining moment for him simply because he is playing Pete Sampras.There may be a lot of water under the bridge since the exchange of words between Sampras and Rafter a couple of years ago, yet, it would be difficult for Rafter, definitely the underdog here, to forget that Sampras, when once asked what he thought separated him and Rafter, reportedly replied ``About 10 Grand Slams".Rafter then beat Sampras in the semi-final of the 1998 US Open - though Sampras was supposed to have been carrying an injury in that match, and a little later, won the event. However, both insist that things have improved since then. Rafter said he had called Sampras up and they had ``resolved their differences''.``I respect Pete for a lot of things and in a lot of ways, he has lightened up over this year. I don't have any problems.'' He added that there was just ``too much at stake'', this time for the two to be worried about each other and their differences.Sampras said that things had been blown out of proportion by the media. ``It might have been something I might have said, something he might have said. There's no sense really talking about it. We'll just go out there and do the best we can, shake hands.''The match may be decided by how fit Sampras really is. He is reportedly suffering from tendinitis in the left shin and foot and the strain on that leg may tell if he does not win in straight sets. Rafter is no pushover and cannot be counted out, especially if things take time.He of course, has had a spate of injuries over the past couple of years and said at the beginning of the event, that even though he had quite a few years left, the injuries had made him realise his ``mortality as a sportsman''.Last year, he withdrew from four events - San Jose, Barcelona, the US Open and the Paris Indoor - due to injuries. He suffered from a strain in the left ankle, twice from lower back spasms, a right hip flexor strain and a herniated disc. This year, in addition to the tendinitis, he missed the Davis Cup first round tie after suffering from a partial tear in the right hip during the Autralian Open and from a lower back strain at Scottsdale.This brings us back to the reported whispers in the locker room that Sampras has not really been as injured as he claims he is. And that no one with the kind of injury he has, can move the way he does and take that kind of strain, even if it is Wimledon and this would be extra-special.Rafter was the first to negate the notion that Sampras may be faking the whole thing for sympathy and the psychological edge over an opponent who may not know quite what to expect from a not 100 per cent rival. ``I think he's a quite genuine person,'' he said, which is a lot, in the circumstances. For classical enthusiasts, this is really the perfect match up for the surface, one between two consummate serve-and-volleyers.After the debate about whether grass is really the serve-and-volleyer's domain anymore, especially after the success of people like Andre Agassi and the baseliners and power-hitters in the women's game, this would be something of a relief (and a treat) to most traditionalists.About their chances - well, if this was the realm of illusion and one could suspend all logic, or of course, if you were Australian or one of Rafter's hordes of female fans, then you could say that the Rafter was a sure shot. Yet, in the very real world of Wimbledon, things look difficult for the Aussie. He has a 4:9 record against Sampras, but has beaten him in three of their last four meetings. They have interestingly, never met on grass.Sampras, who says he has not practised at all in the past fortnight, for fear of putting pressure on his left leg, has said he will do his utmost to get some practice before the final. He is taking no chances. Both players believe it will be a matter of who returns well. Said Rafter, ``I've got to try and get his serve back somehow and take my chances. There will be no baseline rallies and I won't be able to chip and charge.''Sampras said he has to take care of his serve. ``It really comes down to return of serve and who puts more pressure on the service game. I'm sure we'll both walk out there a little bit nervous. It should be exciting."Sampras is one match away from his seventh Wimbledon title, the most by any man in the Open era (he would equal William Renshaw's feat in the late 19th century) in addition to that 13th Slam. He is currently tied with Roy Emerson at 12, though all the latter's titles were pre-Open era (1968).He however, denies that creating history will in any way, be part of his agenda on Sunday. ``You know, when you're going through the battle, you can't think of your place in history. It is the match at hand. That's the attitude you have to have. My legacy will be the last thing on my mind on Sunday. I will do whatever I can to win.''
