MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia's Mark Philippoussis served up a
warning for next week's Australian Open when he beat world number
three Pete Sampras in a warm-up event on Friday.
Philippoussis, 23, outlasted Sampras 7-6 7-6 in sweltering temperatures
to advance to a meeting with Andre Agassi in the final of the Colonial
Classic event at Kooyong.
The big-serving Philippoussis slammed down 16 aces to earn a showdown with Agassi in
Saturday's final. He wrapped up the match on his fourth match point when the American hit a
forehand service return long.
``This is a perfect preparation and will be good for my confidence going into next week,''
Philippoussis said of the Australian Open, the season-opening Grand Slam tournament which
starts on Monday.
It was the first clash between the pair since last year's Wimbledon, when Philippoussis took
the first set of their quarter-final but was forced to quit with a knee injury.
``Whenever I play Mark it's pretty close, it always comes down to a couple of points and he
got them today,'' Sampras said.
``The court and conditions here are very fast and with his serving capability, he could be very
hard to break over the next couple of weeks,'' the former world number one said.
Philippoussis, runner-up at the 1998 U.S. Open, is looming as a serious threat to Agassi and
Sampras during the Australian Open after Friday's draw put him in the same half of the men's
singles as the two Americans.
``You are going to see a lot of big servers do well (at the Open),'' Sampras said. ``Guys like
(Richard) Krajicek and Philippoussis will be more of a threat.''
Sampras said Philippoussis, seeded 16 for the Open, was gaining the maturity to capitalize on
his undoubted firepower.
``His game has never been in question, it's more the mental side,'' said Sampras. ``He's got all
the weapons ... it's just a matter of putting it all together at the right time.''
Sampras did not drop serve against Philippoussis but had to fight off several break points.
Philippoussis raced to a 5-0 lead in the first set tie-breaker after volleying errors from
Sampras and wrapped it up 7-4.
Philippoussis won the second set tie-breaker 7-5 after marching to a 6-3 advantage.
Sampras, hoping to win a record 13th Grand Slam singles title at this year's Australian Open,
said he was happy with his game despite the narrow loss.
``I feel good. I feel like I'm where I want to be,'' he said.
PHILIPPOUSSIS INTO FINAL BY BEATING SAMPRAS
By Robert Grant
MELBOURNE, Jan 14 AAP - Armed with a more mature and tempered game, Mark Philippoussis today toppled Pete Sampras to move into the final of the Colonial Classic at Kooyong and another key test on the eve of the Australian Open.
Philippoussis has worked hard on controlling his powerful game since he sent balls rocketing all over the court as a teenager and today said the results were showing.
The Victorian beat Sampras in two tight sets, 7-6 7-6, to earn a meeting tomorrow with world No.1 Andre Agassi.
Strategy has become more important to Philippoussis than overwhelming but out-of-control power tennis.
"That's what I've been working on but I think that comes with experience and time," Philippoussis said.
"I have had some experience under my belt now and I still feel like I'm young but I still feel like I've been on tour for a while so my game is starting to come together now," the 23-year-old said.
"It is always nice to play Pete, especially to have a win but obviously we are all concentrating on the Open ... this is a perfect preparation and it will be good for my preparation going into next week."
Sampras said the parameters had moved dramatically for Philippoussis, who shocked the American star in the third round of the Australian Open in 1996.
"When I lost to him here a couple of years ago he was a 19-year-old kid with nothing to lose," Sampras said.
"Now he is expecting to win grand slams and do well, especially the next couple of weeks so it is a different mindset for him.
"But he has got the tools, there is no question that he has got the game to get it together and be a serious threat."
All players at Kooyong this week have been united in their opinion that the fast courts and hard balls will favour the big serve-volley players but, surprisingly, Sampras said he did not classify himself as one of them.
"You might think I like fast conditions but I really don't," he said.
"I like pretty medium and a combination of the balls and the court this year that I have played here you are going to see a lot of big servers doing well in the next couple of weeks," he said.
Dutchman Richard Krajicek and Philippoussis have been singled out as strong chances for the title because of the conditions, but Sampras and Agassi remain the clear favourites.
Meanwhile, Australian Open defending champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov continued his lacklustre display with his third straight loss at Kooyong - beaten by South African Wayne Ferreira 7-6 6-3.
In the other match Krajicek defeated German Nicolas Kiefer 6-4 7-6.