Sampras chases record after a mixed 1999

Sampras chases record after a mixed 1999
Kadambari Murali

Wimbledon, June 26: Nineteen ninety nine was a year of both milestones and trauma for Pete Sampras. With his sixth Wimbledon tennis title last year, he equalled Australian great Roy Emerson's feat of 12 Grand Slam crowns, became the first man in the century to win six All-England titles and completed a record 276 weeks at the top.

On a different note, he has given credit to the Aussie youngster and referred to Hewitt as the dark horse for the event and praised the youngster's style of play. The two could meet in the quarter-finals here again.

While the defending champion has what should be an easy first round against little-known Czech Jiri Vanek, a possible second round meet-up could be with Slovakian Karol Kucera, once world number eight who reached the fourth round here last year or Zimbabwean lucky loser Wayne Black, who came in for injured Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrerro. Both can be dangerous customers.

Sampras has said that despite his records, he would never be seen as ``the best by tennis historians'' as he had never won the French Open. ``I think that's a little unfair''. Whatever historians may have to say in the matter, for most others, if Sampras does wear the All-England crown once more, it will be difficult to see him as anything but the best.