The beating came this time in the first round Monday against Australia's Mark Philippoussis, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 8-6, and it was all the more painful to the No. 2 Sampras because he played so well in defeat and because he knows that at 28 time is running out on him.

He knows, too, that his trend at the French doesn't look promising -- third round and out three years ago, second round the past two years, first round this year.

After more than 3½ hours in blustery weather that kept shifting from hot to cold, from sunny to cloudy and back again, this match between serving titans ended in the most ignoble way at 2:06 p.m. ET, when Sampras double-faulted on match point.

Ever the stranger in a strange land at Roland Garros, Sampras had asked the umpire at 6-6 in the fifth set whether they play a tiebreaker now.

No, the umpire said, no tiebreaker. At the French, unlike the U.S. Open, the fifth set is played out in games.

Sampras never won another point. He watched Philippoussis serve his 23rd ace in taking a 7-6 lead at love before Sampras fell at love in the final game.

Sampras looked the picture of misery and weariness at the end, though he denied that fatigue was a factor. His legs moved slowly, his socks and shoes seemed caked with a couple of pounds of clay, and he had no punch in his game. When he tried to describe his emotions a few minutes later, his voice was as soft and weak as some of his shots in the final games.

"I'm sitting here very disappointed about what happened," Sampras said. "Very close match. Could have gone either way. I feel like I had some chances, but Mark, I give him all the credit. He served huge."

Sampras took solace in playing a solid, tough match that showed he can adapt his serve-and-volley style to a modicum of proficiency on clay. There weren't many long rallies, but there also weren't a lot of embarrassing gaffes, as there had been in Sampras' other early round exits.

Unlike his opponent, Mark Philippoussis did well in his French tuneup events.(AP)

In 11 appearances at the French, Sampras has lost in the first round twice, the second round four times, and the third round once. He reached the quarters three times and the semifinals once.

"I certainly haven't gotten the breaks at this event over the years," Sampras said. "One year, hopefully, I'll get those breaks.

"I feel like my game was there today. I didn't feel like I played poorly. I played fine. But it's frustrating flying home tomorrow. I was certainly hoping to be a threat here."

For some of the greatest players in tennis history, certain tournaments eluded their grasp. For Bjorn Borg, it was the U.S. Open. For Ivan Lendl, it was Wimbledon. For Sampras, it is the French.

And like the others in their time, Sampras won't concede that his game is ill-suited to this surface, that he can't win here.

"There's never been a question in my mind that I can play well here," he said. "I played fine today. I came up short. I feel like the court here is quick enough to serve and volley. I was doing well today. The game's there. It's just a matter of putting it all together and winning a close match like this.

"It's a tough draw to play Mark in the first round, to try to get your bearings ... against someone who gives you no rhythm and serves that big."

Sampras said he expects to keep trying at the French until he retires.

"I'm turning 29 this year and the years are going," he said. "I see myself playing this game for a lot of years, but certainly every year the French goes by and I don't win here, it's one opportunity missed. But I'll be back next year and every year that I'm playing this game."

Asked whether it would bother him if he never won the French, never completed the career Grand Slam as rival Andre Agassi did last year, Sampras replied:

"In a perfect world, a perfect career, you'd like to win all the majors, do everything in the game. I have a very high bar that I've raised. It kind of would be disappointing if I would not win it, but life will go on. It's certainly nothing to be ashamed of, not winning here. I would certainly one day love to do it."

The men's No. 4, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, blew a big lead but still edged Ivan Ljubicic 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4.

Gustavo Kuerten, the 1997 champion who is seeded No. 5, won the first 15 games and beating Andreas Vinciguerra 6-0, 6-0, 6-3.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 2000, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved