Sampras, Pierce Advance at U.S. Open
N E W Y O R K, Sept. 3 -- The latest hero in this melting pot of a U.S.Open, and the next to face four-time champion Pete Sampras, is aSouth Korean qualifier from a small, rural town who speaks littleEnglish and whose only friend in New York owns a dry cleaning shop.
Hyung-Taik Lee, playing in his first major tournament fresh froma victory on the second-tier Challenger circuit, reached theround-of-16 in this $15 million Grand Slam event Saturday bybeating Germany’s Rainer Schuttler 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
From the far edge of the National Tennis Center on Court 10,where Koreans crowded around to cheer him, the No. 182-ranked Leewill move over to towering Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday to playSampras.
Ready to Rumble
“If I’m not in awe of the crowd and the stadium, I’m going to put up a good fight,” Lee said through a translator.
Sampras, like virtually everyone else on the tour, never heardof Lee before this week. Nor had Sampras ever heard of the guy hestruggled against in the steamy heat Saturday, Argentina’s AgustinCalleri, in a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3), 6-3 win.
“I was told by someone in the locker room … that he was alefty that stays back,” Sampras said. “He was a righty that hitsthe ball big. Bad information.”
In a tournament that has seen Galo Blanco of Spain knock offtwo-time champion Patrick Rafter, and Arnaud Clement of France beatdefending champion Andre Agassi, Sampras is tempering hisconfidence with caution.
“He’s going to come out swinging away, like the guy I playedtoday did,” Sampras said.
Sampras has been running into obscure players lately. On the wayto the Wimbledon title, he played a semifinals match against amystery man from Minsk, Vladimir Voltchkov, who wore borrowedshorts and donated shoes and made more money in two weeks than hehad earned in five years as a pro.
Financial Gap
Lee, 24, has guaranteed himself at least $55,000 by reaching thefourth round. In seven years scuffling around as a pro on thefringes, he’s made a total of $98,021. Sampras, winner of a record13 Grand Slam titles, has made more than $40 million in tourevents.
