Pete Sampras has come through a gruelling five-set third round clash with Nicolas Escude to face Marat Safin in the fourth round. Sampras won 7-6 5-7 6-4 6-7 6-3 in a match that did not finish until nearly 1.45am.
The match ended up taking nearly four hours to complete, but Sampras should have finished off the gritty Frenchman much earlier. Sampras double-faulted on the first of three match points in the fourth set tie-break. Escude saved the others and took the contest into a decider. Despite going 4-0 up in the final set, Sampras missed several chances to kill off Escude’s challenge, losing one of the breaks on another double fault and failed to take three more match points at 5-2. He eventually won on his seventh match point after three hours 50 minutes.
Sampras said: “I got a bit tight in the fourth and let it slip away but rebounded quickly. He is a very talented player. It was a tough match and it does not get any easier now. Marat is playing well.”
The in-form Safin eased past Russian compatriot Mikhail Youzhny 6-4 6-4 6-4, but not before earning himself a possible hefty fine for swearing at an umpire. He clashed with the umpire after receiving a code violation for hitting a line judge with a ball. He claims it was accidental.
Elsewhere Germany’s Tommy Haas beat American Todd Martin in five sets. Haas twice fought back from a set down to eventually clinch the match 6-7 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-1. He will meet eleventh seed Roger Federer in the next round. Federer beat Germany's Rainer Schuettler in straight sets.
Filed by Johnny Proby
