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

Karol Kucera #20 def. Pete Sampras #1

6-4 6-2 6-7(5) 6-3

Match Information

Date	Jan 30, 1998*
Tournament	Australian Open
Category	Grand Slam
Surface	Hard
Round	QF
Winner	Karol Kucera
Score	6-4 6-2 6-7(5) 6-3
Loser	Pete Sampras
Duration	2h 30m

Stat	Karol Kucera	Pete Sampras
Aces	19	7
Double faults	4	3
First serve %	69	61
First serve points won %	73	69
Second serve points won %	54	44
Break points saved %	57	12
Break points converted %	88	43
Service points won %	67	59
Return points won %	41	33
Total points won %	56	44

Pre-match Comparison

Field	Karol Kucera	Pete Sampras
Country	SVK	USA
Birth date	Mar 4, 1974	Aug 12, 1971
Age	23	26
Height	188	185
Handedness	Right-Handed	Right-Handed
Backhand style	Two-Handed Backhand	One-Handed Backhand
Ranking (entering)	20	1
Ranking points (entering)	1,569	4,547
Elo (entering)	1,941	2,199
Career W-L	259–230	737–208
Career earnings	$5,061,125	$43,280,489

Pre-match H2H

Karol Kucera 0 – 1 Pete Sampras

Path

Karol Kucera's path

Date	Round	Opponent	Score	W/L	H2H	Match data
Jan 28, 1998	R16	Richard Fromberg	6-2 3-6 6-2 7-5	W	H2H	Match data
Jan 25, 1998	R32	Daniel Nestor	6-2 7-6(3) 6-1	W	H2H	Match data
Jan 23, 1998	R64	Daniel Vacek	7-6(4) 6-7(5) 2-6 6-0 6-1	W	H2H	Match data
Jan 21, 1998	R128	Sergi Bruguera	3-6 7-5 6-1 (ret.)	W	H2H	Match data

Karol Kucera's next match

Date	Round	Opponent	Score	W/L	H2H	Match data
Feb 1, 1998	SF	Petr Korda	1-6 4-6 6-1 2-6	L	H2H	Match data

Pete Sampras's path

Date	Round	Opponent	Score	W/L	H2H	Match data
Jan 28, 1998	R16	Hicham Arazi	7-6(9) 6-4 6-4	W	H2H	Match data
Jan 25, 1998	R32	Magnus Gustafsson	7-5 6-3 6-4	W	H2H	Match data
Jan 23, 1998	R64	Davide Sanguinetti	6-2 6-1 6-2	W	H2H	Match data
Jan 21, 1998	R128	Sjeng Schalken	7-5 6-4 6-2	W	H2H	Match data