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 No. 1 and done Sampras loses at Lipton; Hingis, Graf, Williams roll on
Posted: Tuesday March 23, 1999 11:24 PM
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -- Give Pete Sampras an asterisk when he returns to No. 1, because against Richard Krajicek he still ranks No. 2. Sampras headed home Tuesday assured of the top ranking despite another loss to Krajicek, who won their quarterfinal slugfest in the Lipton Championships 6-2, 7-6 (8-6). The victory was Krajicek's fourth in a row against Sampras. The big Dutchman, the last player to beat Sampras at Wimbledon, holds a 6-2 advantage in their rivalry. Just as convincing as that margin was Krajicek's latest win. He overpowered Sampras with his serve, controlled the net and even showed more finesse, winning one key point with a running backhand lob that landed in the corner of the court. "He's got my number for the time being," Sampras said. "He seems to be very confident against me. He just comes out swinging away." Sampras will reclaim the No. 1 ranking Monday from Carlos Moya, whose two-week reign ends because of a fourth-round loss. In women's play, Serena and Venus Williams moved a step closer to meeting in Sunday's final. Serena Williams won her 14th match in a row, beating Monica Seles 6-2, 6-3, and Venus Williams edged Anke Huber 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7-4). Martina Hingis, Steffi Graf and Lindsay Davenport also advanced to the quarterfinals. Anna Kournikova and Mary Pierce were eliminated. Hingis halted 19-year-old qualifier Marlene Weingartner's surprising run with a 6-0, 6-2 victory. Graf extended her winning streak in the Lipton to 21 consecutive matches by beating Natasha Zvereva 6-2, 6-4. Kournikova lost to Barbara Schett 6-1, 1-6, 6-1. Pierce retired with a sprained ankle while trailing Amanda Coetzer 6-1, 4-2. Krajicek, who reached the Lipton semifinal for the first time, is the only remaining player ranked in the top 14. His opponent in the semifinals Thursday will be 15th-ranked Thomas Enqvist.
"Rankings-wise it looks like the best guys aren't playing," Krajicek said. "But the guys left are really playing well." Krajicek, 27, is ranked No. 7 and rising after undergoing knee surgery last November. Sampras said the nine-year tour veteran could yet challenge for No. 1. "He has the tools, but tools can only take you so far," Sampras said. "It's just a matter of if he has the heart and the mind to be the best player in the world." "That's a question I ask myself also," Krajicek said. "I hope I can answer it over the next two years." Krajicek, the 1996 Wimbledon champion, has always been an imposing presence. At 6-foot-5, he's one of the few players to make Sampras look small. "When he gets his serve going, there's not much you can do," Sampras said. "It's like it's coming down from a crane." That analogy came after Krajicek belted nine aces, reached 137 mph with his serve and was broken just once. He kept constant pressure on Sampras, who committed 32 unforced errors to 10 for Krajicek. "I make him play maybe a little bit different," Krajicek said. "Against me, he has to maybe rush a little bit more than he would like to." Two mistakes in the second-set tiebreaker doomed Sampras. He double-faulted to make the score 4-4 and floated an easy backhand volley to fall behind 7-6. Krajicek then blasted a 132-mph serve, charged the net and put away an easy volley for the victory. Sampras continues to struggle following his controversial decision to skip the Australian Open and take 10 weeks off this winter. He's 7-3 in 1999 and hasn't reached a final in his four tournaments. "I knew I might struggle a little bit this time of year," Sampras said. "But I needed the break. It's a decision I won't regret. The year is still very young."
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