Sampras ready to face the future in Roddick's big serve

US Open: Record Grand Slam winner turns back clock with defeat of No 3 seed to set up quarter-final showdown with American prodigy

The popular perception is that the past and the future of American men's tennis are about to converge in the quarter-finals of the United States Open here in the shape Pete Sampras, 31, and Andy Roddick, who left his teenage years behind last Friday. Both players are doing their best to avoid the pigeon-holes.

Sampras followed his five-set win over Greg Rusedski, the British No 2, by defeating Tommy Haas, the German world No 3, in four sets on Tuesday night to register the 200th Grand Slam singles victory of a majestic career in which he has won a record 13 major titles.

Rusedski, frustrated by his failure to take his chances against the four-times former champion in the third round, said he would be very surprised if Sampras went on to beat Haas, noting that the Californian was "no longer a great player and was a step and a half slower at the net". "Against Greg, I don't really need to be a step and a half quicker," Sampras responded, having displayed enough firepower and stamina to subdue Haas, 7-5, 6-4, 6-7, 7-5.

Although Rusedski was accurate in his assessment of Sampras, he won no prizes for his iconoclastic comments. Roddick numbers among a growing list of ambitious young opponents who have capitalised on Sampras's fragility in the autumn of his career. Indeed, it was Sampras who called Roddick "the future of American men's tennis" after the Florida-based Nebraskan overwhelmed him, 7-6, 6-3, in the third round of the Key Biscayne tournament in March 2001.

While striving to live up to the billing, Roddick plays it down, pointing out that Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Michael Chang are a hard act to follow. His response switches to automatic pilot, rather like Sampras when asked when he thinks he will win his first title since Wimbledon 2000.

This week, Sampras and Roddick are happy to be in the present and to let the future take care of itself. Roddick, who has a big serve and strong groundstrokes, but whose net game seems to be in abeyance, is as demonstrative as Sampras is reserved, and few of his matches lack hype, particularly on this side of the Atlantic.

Roddick has won both previous matches against Sampras, more than 12 months separating the success on concrete in Key Biscayne and this year's 7-6, 6-3 win on clay in the Houston final. Significantly, the pair are about to duel for the first time over the best of five sets demanded at the Grand Slams, a test of nerve and endurance as well as skill.

Sampras, who embodied those qualities plus vast experience, has tended to run out of steam during the past two seasons, particularly in the last two finals at the US Open. He was virtually blown off court by the power of Russia's Marat Safin in 2001, and did not have the legs to trade shots with the quick, lithe Lleyton Hewitt last year.

Hewitt advanced to the semi-finals yesterday with a 6-1, 7-6, 4-6, 6-2 win against Younes El Aynaoui of Morocco.

Roddick has had some close encounters ­ his five-set loss to Hewitt in the quarter-finals here last year comes to mind ­ and may feel he is ready to take Sampras in the big arena. Roddick has been steady and resilient as well as spectacular en route to the quarter-finals, impressing his doubters by winning a 44-shot rally on match point against Alex Corretja, of Spain, in the third round.

In the fourth round, Roddick, supported by his parents, Jerry and Blanche, his coach, Tarik Benhabiles, his coach's wife, Celia, his coach's favourite chef, three representatives of his agent, and the nation at large, overcame Juan Ignacio Chela, of Argentina, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

At 2-3 in the second set, as Roddick was receiving treatment to a bruised left ankle, his father, Jerry, rushed to the front row of the stands holding a pair of tennis shoes and called out to a ball-boy: "Take these to Andy!" Jerry's shoes are the same size as his son's 10 and a half, but are wider fitting. Roddick put his father's shoes beside his chair, but did not wear them.

Shoeless Jerry, in white socks, returned to his seat in the players' box in time to see one of the most astonishing rallies of the championships with Chela serving at 3-3, 15-15. Chela played a drop-shot, Roddick scooped it up. Chela then hit a lob-volley. Roddick chased back and in one movement turned and fired the ball back at Chela, who contrived a drop-shot down the middle. Roddick retrieved it and, after an exchange of volleys, ran wide and cracked a forehand winner down the line.

Roddick's momentum carried him into the crowd to high-five several spectators. If Roddick fulfils his potential, this may become a feature of the US Open in years to come.

Amelie Mauresmo became the first Frenchwoman to advance to the singles semi-finals since Françoise Durr in 1967. Mauresmo defeated Jennifer Capriati, the No 3 seed, for the third time in a row, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3. The error-strewn match on a humid afternoon produced nine service breaks. Capriati, who saved four match points before defeating Martina Hingis in the Australian final in January, salvaged four match points when serving against Mauresmo at 3-5, but hit a forehand long on the fifth.