Site data updated: 2026-05-28 18:14 UTC

Patrick Rafter #3 def. Pete Sampras #1

6-7(8) 6-4 2-6 6-4 6-3

Match Information

Date	Sep 13, 1998*
Tournament	US Open
Category	Grand Slam
Surface	Hard
Round	SF
Winner	Patrick Rafter
Score	6-7(8) 6-4 2-6 6-4 6-3
Loser	Pete Sampras

Stat	Patrick Rafter	Pete Sampras
Aces	12	16
Double faults	5	16
First serve %	62	49
First serve points won %	78	78
Second serve points won %	62	45
Break points saved %	33	33
Break points converted %	67	67
Service points won %	72	61
Return points won %	39	28
Total points won %	54	46

Pre-match Comparison

Field	Patrick Rafter	Pete Sampras
Country	AUS	USA
Birth date	Dec 28, 1972	Aug 12, 1971
Age	25	27
Height	185	185
Handedness	Right-Handed	Right-Handed
Backhand style	—	One-Handed Backhand
Ranking (entering)	3	1
Ranking points (entering)	3,577	3,678
Elo (entering)	2,065	2,084
Career W-L	332–177	737–208
Career earnings	$11,133,128	$43,280,489

Pre-match H2H

Patrick Rafter 2 – 7 Pete Sampras

Path

Patrick Rafter's path

Date	Round	Opponent	Score	W/L	H2H	Match data
Sep 11, 1998	QF	Jonas Bjorkman	6-2 6-3 7-5	W	H2H	Match data
Sep 9, 1998	R16	Goran Ivanisevic	6-3 6-4 4-6 6-1	W	H2H	Match data
Sep 6, 1998	R32	David Nainkin	6-1 6-1 6-1	W	H2H	Match data
Sep 4, 1998	R64	Hernan Gumy	6-4 6-1 6-2	W	H2H	Match data
Sep 2, 1998	R128	Hicham Arazi	4-6 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-1	W	H2H	Match data

Patrick Rafter's next match

Date	Round	Opponent	Score	W/L	H2H	Match data
Sep 14, 1998	F	Mark Philippoussis	6-3 3-6 6-2 6-0	W	H2H	Match data

Pete Sampras's path

Date	Round	Opponent	Score	W/L	H2H	Match data
Sep 11, 1998	QF	Karol Kucera	6-3 7-5 6-4	W	H2H	Match data
Sep 9, 1998	R16	Marat Safin	6-4 6-3 6-2	W	H2H	Match data
Sep 6, 1998	R32	Mikael Tillstrom	6-2 6-3 6-1	W	H2H	Match data
Sep 4, 1998	R64	Paul Goldstein	7-6(4) 2-6 6-3 6-3	W	H2H	Match data
Sep 2, 1998	R128	Marc Kevin Goellner	6-3 6-3 6-2	W	H2H	Match data