Wimbledon Net
Hit 2.3 Billion Times
LONDON (Reuters) - Wimbledon witnessed rampant Internet inflation this year,
with nearly a million people logging on to see Pat Rafter defeat Andre Agassi in
one of the tournament's marathon matches last week.
Wimbledon.org received a record 2.34 billion hits over the two-week tennis
championships from the end of June, from just under a billion in 1999, according
to figures released on Thursday.
A semi-final match between sisters Venus and Serena Williams was the second most
popular event, with 885,499 hits in the busiest minute, said the Website's
operator, IBM.
But a peak 963,948 people a minute took up their virtual center-court seats to
watch Andre Agassi fight in vain against Pat Rafter in the fifth set of their
semi-final.
The busiest single day for Web traffic during the tournament was last Friday,
July 7, when Agassi and Rafter played, with a total of 281 million hits recorded
to the site.
``Interactive technology enabled fans to direct robotic SlamCams, hear live
radio broadcasts and view real-time results -- experiencing the championships on
their own terms,'' said Elizabeth Primrose-Smith of IBM's sports sponsorships.
Some 20,000 pages were also called up from Internet-enabled mobile phones.
With Internet access exploding around the world, records for the busiest site
are toppling regularly.
Wimbledon held the record last year with more than 400,000 hits at the busiest
minute, but lost its crown later in the year when U.S. officials posted details
of the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky hearings on the Internet.
The Euro 2000 Website received more than a billion visits during the month-long
football championships in June.
All eyes will now be on the Sydney Olympics in September where IBM officials
confidently expect to break all previous online records.
Sampras In, Agassi Out
Rafter pulls upset in dramatic 5-setter July 8, 2000 by Bruce Jenkins,
Chronicle
Wimbledon, England -- A lot of tennis people look at Pete Sampras and wonder why
he hasn't been fully embraced by the public. He's got the game, the records,
kind of a wry sense of humor
--so what's the problem?
The answer came yesterday on Wimbledon's Centre Court, well before Sampras
earned his inevitable trip into the finals. Patrick Rafter is the problem.
This is not to suggest that Sampras doesn't have a legion of fans. They cover
the spectrum from club pros to refrigerator salesmen to comedian Dennis Miller,
who once spotted Sampras and said, ``Hey, glad to meet you, man. You've got
style, no bull----. I love that.''
But then there's Rafter, the man who will meet top-seeded Sampras for the
championship tomorrow after a dramatic 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 victory over
Andre Agassi. A lot of people are put off by Sampras, who defeated qualifier
Vladimir Voltchkov 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, 6-4. It's impossible to dislike Rafter.
First off, he's got the female audience in his hip pocket. No explanation
required. But he also has that man's-man quality that always has evaded Agassi
(too affected) and Sampras (too slouchy). Tune into a Sampras match anywhere in
the world and you're likely to hear someone yell at the screen, ``Stand up
straight, for God's sake.'' Or in Agassi's case, ``Nice hair. And where did you
get that walk?''
Rafter once said he wasn't terribly fond of Sampras, that he's ``not the kind of
guy you'd like to have a beer with.'' Everyone would like to hoist a few with
Rafter. He's a great athlete, he hides whatever's troubling him, he loves a good
time and he's respectful. Rafter is everything he ever learned from the great
Australian players of the past, Hoad, Newcombe, Roche, Emerson: Work hard, play
hard, laugh at yourself and give credit where it's due.
All of which makes tomorrow's final a special occasion -- every bit as appealing
as Sampras-Agassi, to hear some tell it. With the injuries that crop up so often
in the men's game, one rivalry is a bit tenuous -- very tough to count on.
Rafter's gate-crashing is altogether welcome, on every level.
There didn't figure to be much drama to the Sampras-Voltchkov match, and in
truth, only one point really mattered. Voltchkov was making a mockery of his
world No. 237 ranking for a while, matching bullets with Sampras and delighting
the crowd with his quick reactions around the net, and he was serving at 4-5 in
the first-set tiebreaker with a legitimate shot to gain the upper hand.
Then came an absolute sitter volley at the net, a crosscourt backhand with
two-thirds of the court wide open. Voltchkov botched it badly, and suddenly it
looked like every big tiebreaker Sampras ever played. It's always the other guy
who seems to screw up, and Pete is the last man standing.
Sampras is now on a 27-match winning streak at Wimbledon, with a lot of history
in front of him. A victory would give him seven titles, matching William
Renshaw's ancient, all-time record from the late 19th century, and 13 Grand Slam
championships -- breaking his tie with Roy Emerson for the men's career record.
``I'd love to break it here,'' said Sampras, who has waited a full year since
his last Slam title. ``But I don't feel the pressure of that. I'm playing a
great athlete on Sunday. Rafter covers the net as well as anyone in the world.
I'll have to be at the top of my game from the start, because he's playing at a
very high level.''
Rafter-Agassi was a treat from the very beginning. Stirring rallies and
astounding shots were the order of the day, particularly the deft lob- winners
from Agassi and the pure groundstrokes of Rafter, who surprised a lot of people
by matching Agassi's consistency from the baseline. Just two months ago, Rafter
was wondering if he'd ever fully recover from his October shoulder surgery --
just about the most discouraging operation a tennis player can have. But the
pain is gone now, every last remnant, and he looks every bit the player who won
back-to-back U.S. Opens in 1997 and '98.
``It's been a very long road back,'' he said. ``I think that's the most
satisfying part about it, getting back into a (Grand Slam) final. I don't know
how long I'll be able to play at this level, actually. My doctor told me I only
have a certain amount of serves left in that shoulder. But I was out there today
against one of the best players ever, and I couldn't have played any better
under the circumstances.''
The shot-making became truly phenomenal in the second set, the players flying
around the court, playing all the angles, nailing the corners. Agassi broke
serve for a 5-4 lead with a service-return winner off his backhand, and with the
set at hand, he clinched it with a second-serve ace down the middle.
Two bad mistakes, a double-fault and a netted forehand, cost Agassi a service
break for 5-6 in the third, and Rafter didn't hesitate in putting it away. He
hit a running crosscourt forehand, unreturnable even by Agassi, on a crucial
passing shot at set point. Things calmed down a little in the fourth set, but
Rafter electrified the crowd at 3-2 in the fifth set with an all-out dive that
saw him deliver a backhand-volley winner, then fall crashing to the ground.
It was a shot out of the Pat Cash playbook, a vintage slice of Down Under net
play, and former Australian great John Alexander was suitably impressed in the
press lounge, saying, ``That's a match-winner right there.''
The shot merely gave Rafter 30-15 with a lot of tennis to play, but it
identified the superior player, and the better athlete, on this day. ``There are
times when you're surprised by things,'' Agassi said, ``and times when somebody
just executes a little better than you. Rafter did that today. I've got to work
hard to get better now, because it's not good enough if you lose.''
Sampras has a 9-4 lifetime record against Rafter, winning eight straight at one
point, but Rafter has won three of the past four meetings, including a semifinal
at the '98 U.S. Open. Writers asked both players about a ``feud'' from those
days, basically stemming from the fact that Rafter, unimpressed with Sampras'
hangdog demeanor and indifferent attitude about Davis Cup play, once admitted
being especially satisfied whenever he beat Sampras.
``That's over and done with,'' Sampras said yesterday. ``No sense even talking
about it. We get along fine.''
Rafter said he called up Sampras about a year ago and ``we resolved all our
differences. I respect Pete for a lot of things. I think in a lot of ways he's
lightened up over this year. He's very approachable, and he's a good fellow. I
don't have any problems with Pete.''
Pat the cat 7 July 2000 by Janine Self The London Sun
ON THE surface, Pat Rafter is an easy-going Aussie with a ponytail and pin-up
looks.
Dig a little deeper and this fair dinkum tennis player has something else — in
spades.
Call it staying power, stubbornness, whatever. But never bet against Rafter in a
five-setter.
Andre Agassi discovered exactly why yesterday as The Marathon Man marched into
the Wimbledon final to face six-time champion Pete Sampras after a close-fought
thriller.
Take Rafter to the wire and he tends to come out on top. The statistics show
that he has won 12 five-setters in a row, a run that started six YEARS ago.
These days Rafter, 27, is supposed to be struggling along with a chronic
shoulder problem which may bring a premature end to his career.
You could have fooled Agassi. Twelve months ago, the American was a
straight-sets victor against Rafter in the semi-final at the All England Club.
Revenge does not come much sweeter than this. The No2 seed was beaten 7-5 4-6
7-5 4-6 6-3 in a contest which lasted 3hr 18min.
Rafter has a habit of yelling "Sorry, mate" when he misdirects his
toss as he prepares to serve.
It was more like checkmate as the bloke from Down Under and the Las Vegas
showman played out an intricate game of tennis chess.
Every time Agassi tried to up the pace and tempo, Rafter responded by slowing
the ball down with a clever sliced backhand.
When Pat came to the net, Andre lobbed. Drop-shots, aces, double faults. This
pair served up the full repertoire as they probed to find the chink in each
other's armour.
Legs get on with it ... Agassi resorts to desperate measures against Rafter
Agassi will probably point to that well-known affliction, double faultitis, for
his failure to make it to his third Wimbledon final.
Rafter certainly took advantage in the 12th game of the first set after the
previous 11 had gone with serve.
Agassi double-faulted at 15-30 to give his rival two set points — then sent a
backhand long to present Rafter with an early boost.
It must have seemed like a gift from heaven considering Rafter had not
threatened before that.
Rafter has been only too happy to take everything that has come his way during
this fortnight.
He went on Centre Court yesterday having conceded only one set in five matches
and downplaying any chances he might have this year.
Agassi, 30, has hogged the limelight as usual, not least in last week’s epic
beating of Todd Martin.
He was red-hot favourite to reach his second final in a row. Instead, we have an
Aussie there for the first time since Pat Cash in 1987.
The form guide had suggested Rafter could succeed. He lifted the Heineken Trophy
in Holland in the build-up to Wimbledon and is fully fit after missing almost
five months play since shoulder surgery last October.
But, having taken the first set 7-5 in 42 minutes, Rafter was immediately pegged
back.
Agassi broke serve in the ninth game then served for the set, clinching it with
an ace.
By this stage, the Centre Court crowd were beginning to take sides and it seemed
a pretty even split.
Agassi, playing his 10th Wimbledon, has been a favourite for years but Rafter
has first option on the emotions of the female contingent.
The Australian is also a superb mover on the court. Pat the Cat with his
panther-like grace and ability to cover ground with apparent ease.
On the occasions that both players hit form at the same time, the result was
poetry in motion.
Rafter may be a big guy at 6ft 1in but he has the touch of a butterfly
when he needs to steer a drop-shot over the net.
His bat-like radar also helps to keep the ball a gnat's width above the
net, defying the laws of physics.
Agassi has always been a Paul Daniels with a racket and his backhand lob was
devastating. Together, they turned in a treat.
Rafter nosed ahead with a break in the eighth game of the third when Agassi
started with a double fault and lost the game to love.But the Yank with attitude
hit back straight away and so we see-sawed our way to 5-5.
Rafter won his serve to love to make it 6-5. Then Agassi double-faulted TWICE
and could not rescue his bad start. Set No3 to Rafter 7-5.
Something had to change or Agassi was out. Not surprisingly, he pulled another
rabbit out of the hat, breaking Rafter in the very first game.
It was the only one of the fourth set, although Agassi had to save five break
points in the second game.
Having survived that scare, he smashed down one of his seven aces to level the
match 6-4.
Rafter has been told he has only a certain number of serves left in his arm but
he still turned in 18 aces.
When he did misfire, his cries of anguish amused the crowd. But Agassi did not
see the funny side as he again double-faulted at 30-30 in the sixth game of the
decider.
Rafter converted the break point and that was that as Rafter went on to take the
decider 6-3.
So Agassi jumps on a jet and wonders what might have been. And Pat counts down
to the big day.
END
Good Time Guy Strikes A Balance
By Trevor Marshallsea (SportCentral)
LONDON, July 8 AAP - He's been voted one of the sexiest men on the planet,
the good time guy of tennis, an athlete who in the ultra-professional world
of modern sport refreshingly lists vigorous relaxation as one of the keys to
his success.
Pat Rafter likes balance.
On the court, this means mixing brainwork with a classic serve-and-volley
game to warm the hearts of the purists. Off the court, this has sometimes
meant keeping a beer in either hand without spilling a drop.
Rafter, who takes on the doyen of single-minded tennis, Pete Sampras, in
tomorrow's Wimbledon final, has not got where he has without a lot of hard
work, but not at the cost of the usual trappings of the life of a young man.
A rarity in that he travels without a full time coach, this third youngest
member of a working class family of nine children, raised in Mt Isa and
Brisbane, is guided mainly by brothers Geoff and Peter, his manager.
"They put life in perspective for me," the 28 (he is 27) -year-old
said in a recent
interview.
"I'd always train really hard but Geoff and Pete seemed to think I wasn't
socialising enough.
"I think that was a pretty important part of my life, that you try to
balance
it out and don't become one-dimensional. They encourage me to put a lot of
fun into it."
Before he met his Australian model girlfriend Lara Feltham two years ago,
Rafter was known as a single, red-blooded male who didn't let his looks and
charm go to waste as he toured the world.
His US Open triumphs in 1997 and 1998 were followed by enthusiastic parties
that stretched into the wee hours of morning.
And, famously, he wasn't scared to admit that a night of celebrating after
Australia took an unbeatable 3-0 lead over the Czech Republic in a Davis Cup
tie in Adelaide in 1997 meant he was still drunk when he played in his dead
singles rubber the next day.
"I started sobering up halfway through the match," he said.
"I felt pretty bloody bad, but I won and that's the main thing."
Things have changed since he met Feltham, with whom he shares a flat in his
base of Bermuda, but not too radically.
"A good person for me is someone like Lara who's around me all the time and
understands," Rafter said.
"When I come into grand slams I become very shut off and a little bit
stressed but that's just the way I get off in matches.
"I'm very on edge and things bug me and people who know me know to stay out
of my way."
At the other end of the scale, he's thankful Feltham also puts up with the
laddish heart that beats strongly inside him.
"When I get away from tennis, people may see me as a childish or
irresponsible because I really like to let my hair down and have fun," he
said.
"We're probably a little bit crude at times and don't probably say the
right
things around women, but it makes her laugh."
Rafter was voted one of US People magazine's Most Beautiful People two years
ago. His image has led to a couple of funny moments involving fans not just
interested in his tennis form.
"I was doing a talk when one lady had a skirt on and put her leg up, right
in
my view," he said.
"She was wearing knickers, thank God, but it was hard not to laugh. I
carried
on talking but I could see her out of the corner of my eye.
"I definitely wouldn't say I was good looking. I'm just normal.
"The sex symbol thing comes with succeeding. I don't think it matters what
you look like.
"You see a lot of good looking women with ordinary people like me and you
wonder why.
"Then you realise he's done this or that and that's what attracts
people."
END
Rafter's Parents Make A Dash to London To Watch Final
By Trevor Marshallsea (SportCentral)
LONDON, July 7 AAP - Australia's Pat Rafter has told his parents to make a
mad dash from Brisbane to London so they can watch him in action in Sunday's
final of the Wimbledon grasscourt tennis championships.
Twelfth seed Rafter upset second seed Andre Agassi in a five-set thriller
today to qualify for his first Wimbledon final, where he'll play six time
champion Pete Sampras.
And not only did the win surprise a lot of pundits, considering Rafter only
returned in February from a five-month lay-off due to shoulder surgery, it
surprised Rafter and his entourage as well.
He had protectively been booked on a flight out of London tonight, in order
to be back in Brisbane for next week's Davis Cup semi-final against Brazil.
But all that changed with his stirring defeat of Agassi.
As soon as his fists were raised in triumph on centre court, back home in
Brisbane, mother Jocelyn and father Jim were making phonecalls to book
themselves on the first flight to London.
"They'll be leaving Saturday morning Australia time, and they'll get in at
seven o'clock in the morning on Sunday," Rafter said.
Seeing his parents before his match will obviously mean a lot to Rafter, who
as the third youngest of nine children comes from the biggest family of any
player on the professional tour.
Rafter said last week that he first realised the significance of Wimbledon as
a little boy, when his father let him stay up late to watch the tournament.
Rafter's brother and manager Peter said Pat's success had meant all planning
had to be thrown out the window.
Rafter's other planning nightmare concerns returning home for the Davis Cup.
This could mean Pat missing the Sunday night champions' dinner - and no doubt
a Rafter-esque private celebration like those that followed his two US Open
triumphs - to be home by the Tuesday deadline.
"I don't know what our plans are, if we're leaving Sunday night straight
away
or staying for the dinner or what's going on, because we have Davis Cup and
it takes two days to get home," said Rafter, adding his parents would be
spared from the any hectic travel itinerary.
"Maybe mum and dad might need a couple of days to hang out," he said.
Rafter will also be watched by at least two of his other brothers, along with
girlfriend Lara Feltham.
END
Rafter beats Agassi to reach final 7 July 2000 By Stephen
Wilson The Associated Press
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - Patrick Rafter overcame the blistering returns and
passing shots of Andre Agassi to win in five sets Friday and become the first
Australian to reach the men's final at Wimbledon in 13 years.
Rafter played a masterful grass-court match, mixing his acrobatoic
serve-and-volley game with off-speed shots to dismantle Agassi 7-5, 4-6, 7-5,
4-6, 6-3 in 3 hours, 18 minutes.
Rafter is the first Aussie in the Wimbledon final since Pat Cash, who won the
title in 1987. In Sunday's championship match, he'll meet the winner of the
semifinal between six-time champion Pete Sampras and qualifier Vladimir
Voltchkov.
Rafter's victory marked a dramatic return from the shoulder surgery in
October which kept him out of the game for five months. Earlier this year, he
suggested he was considering retirement.
Friday's match was a mirror of last year's semifinal, won by Agassi in
straight sets.
The high-quality match provided a classic contrast between Agassi, the
consummate returner and counter-puncher, and Rafter, the serve-and-volley
specialist.
Rafter chipped and charged on Agassi's second serves. In baseline rallies, he
relied on a soft, slice backhand to rob Agassi of the pace on which he
thrives.
In the end, it was Agassi's serve which let him down. He served eight double
faults, several at crucial moments. Agassi's final double fault came in the
sixth game of the fifth set, with Rafter converting the decisive break on the
next point to go up 4-2.
From that game, a deflated Agassi lost the final 15 points of the match.
The 12th-seeded Rafter served 18 aces and had seven double faults. He roamed
all over the court, hitting 35 volley winners.
The second-seeded Agassi, who won Wimbledon in 1992 by staying at the
baseline, played the same way against Rafter. He cracked 18 passing shot
winners and moved in on returns to keep pressure on Rafter's serve.
But Rafter's superior serve and more varied game proved the difference.
``I thought I was going to struggle out there today,'' Rafter said. ``I came
out and I played some good stuff on Andre's serve and put him under pressure.
I started serving well in the fifth. Everything started coming together when
I needed it.''
Agassi offered no excuses.
``I was always behind,'' he said. ``He stepped it up and played enough
quality shots at the right time. He played a great fifth set ... I didn't
serve as well as I wanted to and made some careless errors. To his credit he
played well at the right time.''
END
Wimbledon-Rafter thwarts Agassi in thriller
By Bill Barclay
LONDON, July 7 (Reuters) - Five-set specialist Pat Rafter produced a sublime
display of all-court tennis to upset second seed Andre Agassi 7-5 4-6 7-5 4-6
6-3 and reach his first Wimbledon final on Friday.
The 12th-seeded Australian, who has now won 13 of the 16 five-setters he has
played, will face six-time champion Pete Sampras or Belarus qualifier
Vladimir Voltchkov on Sunday.
Rafter, 27, varied his game beautifully to confound Agassi and avenge his
straight sets defeat by the American in last year's semifinal.
``I came out and played some really great stuff on Andre's serve,'' said
Rafter.
``I hadn't played a big-name guy in quite a while... I was probably the
underdog -- I felt that way -- but I served really great. I felt really
comfortable.''
Agassi, the reigning Australian and U.S. Open champion, accepted it had been
a stunning match but couldn't hide his disappointment.
``As far as I'm concerned the match sucked,'' he said, half-joking.
``I felt at the biggest moments of each set he continued to execute his shots
while I fell off a bit.
``I'm disappointed with the way I handled the situation.''
BEST TENNIS
The Australian played his best tennis since undergoing shoulder surgery last
October and constantly pressured the Agassi serve.
Agassi cracked at 5-6 in the first set, double-faulting for 15-40 and then
striking a backhand long to lose the set.
He was quickly 2-0 down in the next as Rafter pressed home his advantage with
another break but responded in kind.
Agassi, sticking to the baseline, showed his mettle by improvising a backhand
down the line to break for 5-4 and rammed down a second sevice ace to level
the match at a set apiece.
The two exchanged service breaks in the third but Rafter was on top, cleverly
taking the pace off the ball and chipping and charging Agassi's second
serves.
At 5-6 Agassi twice doublefaulted and then watched Rafter produce a stunning
forheand cross court to break and take the third set.
FIGHTER AGASSI
Ever the fighter, Agassi immediately broke Rafter and it proved enough to
take the fourth set and set up the decider in front of an enthralled Centre
Court crowd.
The high quality of the match was summed up in two stunning points. First
Agassi produced a sensational drive volley, backhand cross court. Rafter then
responded with an improbable diving backhand volley reminiscent of Boris
Becker in his prime.
A game later the Australian achieved the decisive break of the match.
Under pressure on serve, Agassi doublefaulted for 30-40 and netted a forehand
to go 4-2 down.
Rafter made no mistake in serving out to love to seal victory after three
hours 18 minutes of captivating tennis.
The Australian said he was going to try and persuade his parents to come over
from home for Sunday's showpiece.
``I know it's a long way to come for just one day, but I'm going to try.''
END
Rafter banishes ghost of 1999 By Sports.com's Miles Evans July 7, 2000
Pat Rafter banished the memory of his semi-final defeat to Andre Agassi last
year when he booked his place in a Wimbledon final for the first time in his
career after an epic battle against the American second seed.
Rafter, seeded 12, triumphed 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 as the Centre Court
crowd witnessed the finest exhibition of attacking tennis in the entire
fortnight.
Twice Agassi came from a set down to level the match amid some ferocious
hitting from the American and some devastatingly effective serve and volley
tactics from the Australian.
Rafter becomes the first Australian to reach the final since Pat Cash lifted
the title 13 years ago and is only the third Grand Slam final of his career
after his wins at the 1997 and 1998 US Opens.
A day after the women's semi-finals produced two anti-climactic matches,
Rafter and Agassi put on a tour de force in a reprise of their 1999 semi-final
Rafter used the positive tactic of coming into the net on every second serve
from last year's runner-up and Agassi's service became more tentative as a
result.
From the first point it was clear Agassi was in fine touch with a
characteristic return to Rafter's feet but two crisp volleys earned the
Australian a confidence-boosting opening game.
Agassi, who hadn't lost his serve in the previous three rounds, opened with
two blistering serves, a hugely under-rated part of his game.
Agassi carved out the first break points of the match at 2-2 but failed to
take his opportunity and the American responded well after falling to 0-30 in
his next service game before levelling at 3-3.
Rafter recovered from 0-30 to take a 4-3 lead and began to come in on every
second serve from the American.
The policy paid off when he finally broke the Agassi serve in the 12th game
to take the set after 42 minutes.
Rafter continued the momentum by adding a fourth straight game to break and
lead 2-0 in the second set.
Agassi showed his champion qualities and broke back and leveled.
While Rafter used his serve and volley strengths to great effect, Agassi
began to return like we know he can and the momentum of the game seemed to be
inexorably turning in his favour.
Rafter then earned two break points at 4-3 when an unforced error from Agassi
sailed over the baseline after one of the longest rallies of the match. But
again Agassi showed his nerve and, courtesy of a painfully dead net cord,
came back to 4-4.
Then an incredible return high on his backhand saw Agassi break Rafter for
the first time in the match to lead 5-4 and he served out to wrap up the set.
In the third set the quality of tennis inevitably flagged and Rafter found it
increasingly hard to hold serve as opposed to Agassi who gave away few points.
But Rafter made the breakthrough when he broke the Agassi serve to love to
take a 5-3 lead but Agassi broke back immediately to prolong the tension.
Rafter then held to lead 6-5 but the Agassi serve crumbled and Rafter moved
to within a set of his first final.
But Agassi wasn't finished yet and he broke in the opening set of the fourth
and the pair held serve until the Las Vegan made it two sets apiece.
The decisive break came in game six of the final set when some stunning
groundstrokes from Rafter earned him the break and he held his nerve to take
his place in the history books.
END
Mission Accomplished: Rafter Triumphs Over Agassi
By Kim Trengove 7 July 2000 www.oncourt.com
He's done it!
Against the steepest odds Patrick Rafter defeated Andre Agassi today to reach his first Wimbledon
final. Rafter won an enthralling, high class semi-final 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. The feat was
more extraordinary considering Rafter hadn't played a five set match since hurting his shoulder
10 months ago, let alone a semi-final in a grand slam event with his opponent being none other
than No.2 seed Agassi, a player he had lost to 7 out of 3 times going into the semi.
Agassi, the 1992 champion, was the first seed Rafter had come up against in his lead-up to the
semi and many people felt the 27-year-old champion hadn't be truly tested in this year's Champion
ships. Even Rafter's minders were praying for an Agassi off day. That didn't happen. The American
was on his game, hitting his famed returns down the lines, across court and straight at Rafter's
heels.
While Rafter claimed the first set and established a 2-0 lead in the second, his first serve was
lacking rhythm and Agassi was able to break the Australian in the third and ninth games. Again,
Rafter struggled with his first serves in the third set while Agassi pressed him to bend,
struggle and stretch at the net off the forehand and backhand sides. The match became more like
a game of chess as both players executed a variety of shots to whittle the other down.
Rafter drew the first blood in the third set, exploiting a brief lull in Agassi's normally water
-tight serve. Trailing 5-3, the American broke back and held his serve to love. It was the most
intense stage of the match but Rafter responded to the pressure by also holding his serve to love
When Agassi doubled faulted twice at 6-5 down, Rafter lifted and took the third set with a
brilliant forehand passing shot.
From then on, Rafter was the man in control, even though he dropped the fourth set. His first
serve improved incrementally and by the end of the match he was getting 74 percent of first serve
in. The 'Warrior', as Australian Davis Cup captain John Newcombe calls him, was in full flight
knowing that his record in five set match was formidable. In 12 five setters he had lost only
three going into this match with Agassi, the last coming in the 1999 US Open when he pulled out
in the fifth set against Cedric Pioline because of intense shoulder pain.
Today, nothing could stop the Queenslander from moving towards his first Wimbledon final against
either top seed Pete Sampras or qualifier Vladimir Voltchkov. His intriguing battle against
Agassi was worthy of a final and he saved his best for the latter stages of the match, diving on
balls at the net, sending angled drop volleys Agassi's way, serving impeccably and answering
some formidable baseline rallies. He broke in the sixth game and served for the match at 5-3,
never allowing Agassi a point in the final game.
Now he is one match away from accomplishing his life's dream. How ironic that only six weeks ago,
he contemplated throwing the whole thing in. "Four weeks before Wimbledon he made up his mind he
was just going to go for it," Newcombe said. For the record, the last Australian man to win a
singles crown was 1987 champion Pat Cash, who defeated Ivan Lendl in straight sets.
Tennis-Wimbledon-Rafter shoulders his way into final
By Bill Barclay
LONDON, July 7 (Reuters) - Australian Pat Rafter will play his first
Wimbledon final on Sunday knowing his troublesome shoulder could give out at
any moment.
The 12th seed, who thrillingly defeated American second seed Andre Agassi 7-5
4-6 7-5 4-6 6-3 on Friday, had surgery to repair his right shoulder last
October and missed five months.
Nobody could be keener than the 27-year-old, who has won the U.S. Open twice,
to take what could be his one and only chance of winning the grass court
Grand Slam.
Asked if doctors had told him there were only a certain amount of serves left
in his shoulder, he said: ``Yeah, that's what I've been told. I 'm really
just taking it week by week, just really grateful to be out here.''
Rafter, who sustained the shoulder injury defending his U.S. Open title last
year, revealed he uses a piece of elasticated band each day to strengthen his
shoulder muscle, tying one end to his racket and the other to a door knob.
``It's been a long road back - that's the most satisfying part about it,'' he
said.
``Now I'm back in the final. It has probably been a big shock but I don't
want to think about it right now.''
Certainly Agassi was surprised by the venom of Rafter's game, which he varied
superbly in an intoxicating mix of touch and power tennis.
AVENGED LAST YEAR'S DEFEAT
``Today was a match when I couldn't have played any better under the
circumstances,'' said Rafter.
``But here's a lot of work to do, you don't want to play Pete any time but
especially not at Wimbledon.''
Rafter has now won 13 of the 16 five-setters he has played and Friday's win
also avenged his straight sets defeat by Agassi in last year's semifinal.
The match enthralled the Centre Court crowd as it swung first Rafter's way
then Agassi's.
But the Australian always seemed to have the upper hand, cleverly taking the
pace off the ball and surprising Agassi by chipping and charging his second
serves.
The 30-year-old Las Vegan, who played as if tied to the baseline by his own
piece of elastic, dug in and tied the match at two sets apiece after trailing
a set and 2-0 at one point.
The high quality of the match was summed up in two stunning points in the
fifth set.
CAPTIVATING TENNIS
First Agassi produced a sensational drive volley, backhand cross court.
Rafter then responded with an improbable diving backhand volley reminiscent
of Boris Becker in his prime.
The Australian was inspired and began to serve like the three-time former
champion from Germany too.
Under pressure on serve, Agassi doublefaulted for 30-40 and netted a forehand
to go 4-2 down.
Rafter took his tally of aces to 18, producing two love service games to seal
his victory after three hours 18 minutes of captivating tennis.
Agassi, the reigning Australian and U.S. Open champion, accepted it had been
a stunning match but couldn't hide his disappointment. ``As far as I'm
concerned the match sucked,'' he said, half-joking.
``I felt at the biggest moments of each set he continued to execute his shots
while I fell off a bit.
``I'm disappointed with the way I handled the situation.''
Rafter, meanwhile, revealed his parents are planning a whistlestop visit to
watch him play in Sunday's final.
``My mum and dad are flying in,'' he said. ``It'll take them a while. They'll
be leaving in the morning, Australia time and they'll get in at seven o'clock
in the morning on Sunday.''
Rafter wins epic battle
By Linda Pearce London
(SportsToday)
It was Andre Agassi who cruelled Pat Rafter's Wimbledon title hopes last
year, but Rafter who this morning turned nasty in the semi-final rematch,
winning a memorable five-setter to become the first Australian finalist since
Pat Cash in 1987.
Rafter prevailed 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 to qualify for his third grand slam
decider, taking in a perfect 2-0 record on the strength on his 1997-98 United
States Open triumphs. This is the All England Club, and so the surface is
grass and not the fast hardcourt he prefers, but the Queenslander has clearly
been the player of the men's tournament so far.
Not content with being only the fifth man to win all four grand slams, world
No.2 Agassi had developed a profitable sideline in knocking out Australians,
his ninth consecutive victory coming through Wednesday's quarter-final
elimination of Mark Philippoussis. Rafter buried that trend before it reached
double figures, and was favored to meet Pete Sampras - the six-time Wimbledon
champion he trails 4-9 in career matches - with the top seed due next on his
favorite court against Belarussian qualifier Vladimir Voltchkov.
Yet Rafter could also acquire a taste for the famous turf despite a limited
opportunity to feast this year. Rafter's lack of seeded opposition had
banished him to a lesser venue until this marquee semi-final against the
player who had beaten him in seven of their 10 previous matches, and both
times on grass.
But this is Rafter back to the level he displayed before shoulder surgery
last October and his serving performance in the fifth set was superb. The
decisive break came in the sixth game of the decider he typically plays so
well, with an Agassi double-fault bringing up 30-40, and then a netted
forehand. Rafter served out his last two attempts to love and, more than
three absorbing hours after the match had started, his first Wimbledon final
had been delivered.
Rafter had not lost a completed five-set match since 1994, forced to retire
through injury from his last, but having won the previous 11 and boasting an
outstanding 12-3 record overall.
They are such contrasting characters: Rafter the more deliberate,
longer-striding, net-rushing type; Agassi, the quick-stepping, fidgeting,
baseline bustler. Their differing styles helped to produce a high-quality
match, with Rafter mixing up his service speeds and directions and preventing
Agassi from getting into the return groove that hurt Philippoussis so badly.
The 12th seed faced and saved the first break point in the fourth game, but
continued to vary his tactics, employing the trusty chip-charge often enough
to pressure Agassi's serve. And, partly as a result, when the American faced
his first break point at 15-40, 5-6, the first double fault of the match
followed.
Agassi's serve had not been broken in almost 10sets over three-and-a-bit
matches, but the dose was repeated at the start of the second set. Agassi
broke back immediately, but knew he was in for a tough fight.
END
First Aussie in final for 13 years
By Trevor Marshallsea, LONDON, Friday
(SportsToday)
Pat Rafter today became the first Australian to reach a Wimbledon singles
final in 13 years, taking another major step in his magnificent comeback from
career-threatening shoulder injury by beating Andre Agassi in five sets.
Using the serve and volley game to brilliant effect, Rafter upset second seed
Agassi 7-5 4-6 7-5 4-6 6-3 to qualify for Sunday's final against either Pete
Sampras or Belarussian qualifier Vladimir Voltchkov.
In an enthralling semi-final on centre court, laced with epic rallies and the
full array of shots, Rafter showed why he is seeded 12th here, despite being
ranked 21, with a sublime display of grass-court tennis.
After becoming the first Australian since 1987 champion Pat Cash to make the
final here, the dual US Open winner raised both fists in jubilation.
Asked how it felt to make his first Wimbledon final, Rafter said: ``It sounds
pretty good right now mate.
``I thought I was going to struggle out there. I haven't played a big-name
guy for a while.''
Rafter came into this Wimbledon hoping to prove he had returned to somewhere
near the form that won him two US Open titles, following a five-month lay-off
for shoulder surgery which ended in February.
He won the grass-court lead-up in Holland, at s'Hertgenbosch, for the third
year in a row, and dropped only one set, to Thomas Johansson in the fourth
round, en route to the semi-finals.
But today was his first big test, Agassi his first seeded opponent in a
rematch of their semi-final here last year, which Agassi, eventually beaten
in the final by Pete Sampras, won 7-5 7-6 6-2.
But a different outcome appeared likely in the first set, with Rafter
particularly sharp and Agassi unusually sluggish.
Agassi squandered the first break point of the match at 2-2, before games
began to go to serve.
But just as a tiebreak loomed with Agassi serving at 5-6, he coughed up his
first service game for the set, through his first double-fault and a long
backhand on set point.
That gave Rafter a noticeable lift, and after holding serve he broke Agassi
again, with three clear winners, to lead 2-0 in the second.
But the match then swung again, Agassi producing two stunning returns to
break back, before games again started to go to serve.
Rafter had a golden chance to all but wrap up the set when he held two break
points against Agassi at 4-3, but two uncharacteristic errors cost him both.
Just how dearly became immediately clear, when Agassi rebounded to break
Rafter in the next game, again with some big returning. An ace on the first
set point heightened Rafter's pain. Rafter, charging the net just as surely
as Agassi was sticking to the baseline, began making mistakes, such as a
fifth double-fault that gave Agassi break point at 2-2 in the third set.
Rafter fought out of it with a service winner, as he did the next break point
against him at 3-3.
Suddenly the set burst open when a series of Agassi errors handed Rafter a
break to love for 5-3, but Agassi lifted again to break the Queenslander to
15.
Once again, though, Agassi got himself into trouble on serve at 6-5, opening
with two double-faults. Rafter was able to break from there to go two sets to
one up, a magnificent running forehand crosscourt winner on set point
indicative of the drama on offer.
But Agassi lifted again with a series of great returns to break Rafter in the
next game, and then clung to life in the marathon second game, refusing to
surrender on no less than five break points. Games went to serve until Agassi
served strongly at 5-4 to send the match into a fifth set.
Rafter boasted a 12-3 win-loss record in career five-setters, to Agassi's
19-16, but the Queenslander hadn't played one since retiring at the US Open
last year against Cedric Pioline with the shoulder injury that would sideline
him until the new year.
Bit it was Agassi, who had had not been beaten in his previous four grand
slam semi-finals, who made the first slip when serving at 2-3, a double-fault
giving Rafter break point, a netted forehand giving him the break.
Rafter then held serve to love with two straight aces, and repeated the dose
when serving for the match, holding to love.
END