Sampras looks too loaded for Pioline

LONDON, July 5: A rare thing happened in the semifinals at Wimbledon Pete Sampras dropped his serve.Tomorrow, the three-times champion will...

LONDON, July 5: A rare thing happened in the semifinals at Wimbledon Pete Sampras dropped his serve.

Tomorrow, the three-times champion will be trying to ensure that Frenchman Cedric Pioline a player who has perfected the art of chasing everything that moves at the Championships — will not make him do it again.

It took a doubles specialist from Australia, Todd Woodbridge, to crack Sampras’s seemingly impenetrable armour on Friday when he stole a service break in the fourth game of the third set in their semifinal.

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“I wasn’t too happy about that, but in all I’ve got no complaints of the way I’ve been playing,” said Sampras after beating Woodbridge in straight sets to reach Sunday’s final. The only other time his serve was broken was in the first round by Sweden’s Mikael Tillstrom.

Now just 28-year-old Pioline, who becomes the first Frenchman in 50 years to reach the Wimbledon final, stands between Sampras and a fourth grasscourt Grand Slam title.

“I’m tired of this man,” said Pioline, who has not beaten Sampras in seven previous meetings, including straight sets losses at the 1993 US Open final and last year’s Wimbledon fourth round.

“I know what it’s like to lose a final, maybe I would like to know what it is like to win one. My game is more mature since that US Open. If I keep playing like this, you never know.”

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Pioline, ranked 44 in the world, won a thrilling five-set semifinal against 1991 champion Michael Stich, his athleticism standing out as refused to give up any shot as lost.

Pioline will carry the tricolour into the Wimbledon final for the first time since Yvon Petra won the title in 1946. The American world number one has totally dominated the 1997 tournament, and will start as one of the hottest favourites since William Spencer Gore lifted the first title 120 years ago.

PETE SAMPRAS VS CEDRIC PIOLINEPETE SAMPRAS (US): ATP ranking 1. Seeded 1. Age 25. Height 1.85mGrand Slam victories: (9) Australian Open 1994 1997, Wimbledon 1993 1994 1995, US Open 1990 1993 1995 1996

Path to final: Mikael Tillstrom (Sweden) 6-4 6-4 6-2, Hendrik Dreekman (German) 7-6 7-5 7-5, Byron Black (Zimbabwe) 6-1 6-2 6-2, Petr Korda (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-3 6-7 6-7 6-4, Boris Becker (Germany) 6-1 6-7 6-1 6-4, Todd Woodbridge (Australia) 6-2 6-1 7-6

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The consummate all-round athlete who can play every shot. Fierce serve and volleyer.

CEDRIC PIOLINE (France): ATP ranking 44. Unseeded. Age 28. Height 1.88m.

Weight 79kg

Best Grand Slam result: Finalist at US Open 1993

Path to final: Marcelo Charpentier (Argentina) 5-7 6-3 7-5 6-2, Javier Frana (Argentina) walkover, Wayne Ferreira (South Africa) 6-4 6-3 6-3, Brett Steven (New Zealand) 3-6 6-3 6-4 7-5, Greg Rusedski (Britain) 6-4 4-6 6-4 6-3, Michael Stich (Germany) 6-7 6-2 6-1 5-7 6-4

A talented player with an all-round game and a punishing return. But he can be temperamental.