MELBOURNE, Australia -- Pete Sampras punched in a few more
volleys than Karol Kucera hit passing shots, while Marat Safin had to rely on finesse
rather than power.
|  | | Marat Safin lost his temper at times Monday, but there were no smashed rackets. |
Both survived tough first-round matches at the Australian Open on
Monday.
Sampras faced 17 break points in his 3-hour, 17-minute match as
he watched shot after shot zip past him while charging the net. He
finally prevailed 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3) over Kucera, who beat
him here in the 1998 quarterfinals.
Safin, the U.S. Open champion, gained a key third-set service
break with a short slice, a drop shot and a winning lob, then set
up match point with a delicate volley as he beat Spain's Galo
Blanco 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5).
In other first-round matches, Andre Agassi and Patrick Rafter
were among the men who advanced.
Sampras, seeking his 14th Grand Slam tournament title, did not
finish play until 12:38 a.m. Tuesday (Monday morning ET), after
307 points. He won 157 to Kucera's 150, and converted two of five
break points to Kucera's three for 17.
In the final-set tiebreaker, a double fault and half-volley miss
by Kucera gave Sampras match point, and the No. 3 seed put away a
sharply angled forehand volley. Only about 2,000 spectators
remained in the 15,000-seat Rod Laver Arena.
Sampras said it was the toughest first round he had faced in an
Australian Open, and "it's not easy on the body."
"I had to withstand a barrage of great returns, passing
shots," Sampras said. "The way he moves and passes on the run,
it's some of the best I've seen."
Kucera blamed a lack of match practice for his inability to
seize his breakpoint chances.
"It was a pity it was the first round," he said.
Safin said Blanco "was playing unbelievable tennis. I was very
lucky. In some important moments, I played very good."
The 20-year-old Russian also showed no signs of an elbow injury
that hampered his serve in a match last week. He served 11 aces at
speeds up to 131 mph.
"For the moment, it is OK. I can serve and I'm really
satisfied," said Safin, who went out in the first round at last
year's Australian and was fined $2,000 for tanking. He was ranked
No. 2 at the end of the year.
On his way to his second service break of the second set, Blanco
sprinted back for a lob and hit a sharply angled passing shot
between his legs.
Safin broke in the third set's sixth game, but was immediately
broken back. He was warned for a code violation when he broke his
racket after netting a backhand on game point.
After winning the set with his touch shots, Safin was unable to
cash in two match points with Blanco serving at 4-5 in the fourth.
In the tiebreaker, he reached 6-3 with a soft cross-court volley
and, three points later, finished the 2:47 match with a forehand
blast that Blanco could only push back into the net.
In the last eight years, Sampras and Agassi each have gone on
twice from U.S. Open victories to Australian Open titles. Safin
believes he can, too.
"I have enough game, I have enough power -- I have everything to
win a Grand Slam tournament," he said.
Agassi, the defending champion, encountered few problems in his
first-round match. Agassi, seeded sixth, needed just 1:40 to beat
Jiri Vanek 6-0, 7-5, 6-3.
Rafter, seeded 12th, beat fellow Australian Scott Draper 6-3,
6-2, 7-5.
|
|
ALSO SEE
Monday's results
Agassi says Davis Cup days are likely done
Serving it up: Laver speaks
Crowd enjoys Davenport beating ex-Aussie Dokic
Courts at Melbourne Park already under scrutiny
Hewitt signs with Nike for a reported $15 million
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Pete Sampras drops one just over the net to win in four sets.
avi: 906 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
|
