Pistol Pete fires back
Pete Sampras won his 200th grand slam match to reach the quarter finals of the US Open on Tuesday, answering his growing band of critics in general - and providing a withering reply for Britain's Greg Rusedski in particular.
The winner of a record 13 grand slam crowns is without a title of any kind since Wimbledon 2000, but played with dynamic power to stun third seed Tommy Haas 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5 in a night-time New York cauldron.
The convincing win turned Rusedski's brash predictions on their head, and provided Sampras with a robust retort.
Rusedski had said after losing to Sampras in five sets on Monday that the American was half a step slower than at his peak, but 24 hours later Sampras snapped: "Against him, I don't really have to be a step and a half quicker."
Rusedski's comments, as ill-timed as they have been judged to be having come immediately after a defeat to Sampras, echo what many pundits have been saying over the past two years.
"I lost the match rather than he won the match," the British No2 said after bowing out 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-4.
"I'd be surprised if he wins his next match against Haas. To be honest with you I'd be very surprised. The movement is not the same and the fitness is not the same.
"You're used to seeing Pete Sampras, 13 times grand slam champion - it's not the same player," he added despite having allowed Sampras to increase his head-to-head supremacy to 9-1.
But on Tuesday Sampras hit back: "I'm not really worried what Greg says or thinks. I can't waste my energy on that."
Sampras next faces young American Andy Roddick who beat Juan Ignacio Chela 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
Roddick, the 11th seed, pulled off some of the shots of the tournament, whipping the boisterous crowd into a frenzy before joining them at various flashpoints for 'high-fives' and back-slapping on the Louis Armstrong court.
After the match he commented on the improvements in his game: "Last year I came here with a serve and a forehand and pretty much let it ride," he said. "But I am doing things much better now."
Roddick said that facing his boyhood hero Sampras at the US Open would be a 'dream'.
However, Sampras made it clear that he intended to give his young opponent a rough ride. "I hope it's a nightmare for him and a dream for me," he smiled.
In the women's quarter-finals world number one Serena Williams produced a devastating performance to overcome Daniela Hantuchova in straight sets 6-2, 6-2.
Williams was far too good and won in just 55 minutes, although she was dogged by more double faults than she would have wanted - four in all - and also snatched at some forehand shots early in the match.
Serena now will face Lindsay Devenport in the semi-finals and was keen to play down her chances of an easy victory, recalling how her reign as champion was ended by Davenport in the 2000 quarter-finals.
I was defending champion that year and Lindsay played very, very well that night. There was nothing I could do to beat her," she said.
"Last year we had a very tough match. She played well again. I remember I had a match point. She goes and hits this ball on the line. It was for a winner."
Her victory means that the Williams sisters are still on course to meet in the final after Venus Williams managed to edge past fellow American Chanda Rubin 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.
Venus' semi-final opponent will be the sixth seed Monica Seles who beat an out-of-sorts Martina Hingis with relative ease 6-4, 6-2.