Rafter

NEW YORK -- No. 13 seed Patrick Rafter watched Michael Chang's amazing forehand passing shot scoot off the court like a comet, saw Chang go into a frenzy -- jumping up and down, shaking his racket, his fist, his entire being.Rafter watched and mentally cringed. It was, after all, the start of the third set of their U.S. Open men's semifinal and Chang, the No. 2 seed who is known for five-set comebacks, was getting pumped."I thought the whole thing was going to turn around right there," Rafter said, running his hand through his wet, dark hair.

WIMBLEDON, England - It was a scene out of another time, before retractable domes and glittering lights, before fake grass and fly-by-night stars. With twilight falling, rain threatening and history wafting like incense at a tennis cathedral named Centre Court, a champion for the ages reached for greatness yesterday. Pete Sampras won Wimbledon again. He won it in a thriller of a men's singles final against Australia's Patrick Rafter, 6-7 (10-12), 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-2. He survived long rain delays and tense play, serving out the match at last light, with camera flashes flickering like fireflies, with the crowd breathless one moment and roaring the next.

WIMBLEDON, England - A funny thing happened on the way to an all-American men's final at Wimbledon. Patrick Rafter crashed the party. The gutsy Australian with the graceful game overcame swirling, autumn-like winds yesterday and ousted No. 2 Andre Agassi, 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. It was a gorgeous match with a classic finish, as No. 12 Rafter served Agassi out of Wimbledon to reach his first Wimbledon final, only 10 months after undergoing major shoulder...

WIMBLEDON, England - One is a swashbuckling Australian in the midst of a career comeback. The other is a quiet American on an historic mission. They're Patrick Rafter and Pete Sampras, hard-serving, hard-charging tennis-playing stylists ready to meet in today's Wimbledon men's final. Rafter is Wimbledon's outsider, seeded 12th, rising from shoulder surgery in October to a final match for tennis' ultimate prize, a journey so unexpected he waited until the last possible moment to fly in his parents from Australia to see today's championship match.

NEW YORK - Sixth seed Patrick Rafter was down two sets and things were looking bleak against No. 10 Pete Sampras, when a fan bellowed from the packed stands around Arthur Ashe Stadium. "Do you want to go home?" he asked. Rafter stopped his service preparation, looked in the direction of the voice and nodded clearly, "Yes." And it was a true answer, because Rafter has made it clear all year that at the end of this season he plans to take a leave of absence from professional tennis. But he didn't really want to leave just then.

One of two Baltimore men accused of robbing and shooting a pizza delivery woman in Columbia early last year pleaded guilty yesterday to reduced charges in exchange for his cooperation at the trial of the other suspect. Charles A. Mosley, 20, pleaded guilty to armed robbery and use of a handgun in a felony under an agreement with prosecutors, who are expected to drop nine other charges, including attempted murder, in exchange for his testimony. The other suspect, Naim Quinton Abdul-Muhaimin, 21, is scheduled for trial this month.

WASHINGTON -- He didn't drop a set last year en route to the Legg Mason Tennis Classic title. Now, after a relatively easy road into the quarterfinals, Stefan Edberg has had to battle all kinds of elements to get back into the final.Playing with a sore shoulder and fatigued from his three-set, rain-delayed comeback win late Friday night, Edberg yesterday held off Australian Patrick Rafter, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, to advance to his second consecutive Classic final.The second seed will face top-ranked Andre Agassi today at 2 p.m. Agassi knocked off fourth seed Todd Martin, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)

WASHINGTON -- Pete Sampras is Randy Johnson with a tennis racket.The show he put on yesterday while blowing away Patrick Rafter, 6-7 (6-8), 6-1, 6-1, 6-4, giving the United States a decisive third match in a 4-1 Davis Cup semifinal victory over Australia, lent new meaning to the words domination and perfection.Sampras served 18 times, excluding the first-set tiebreaker, and lost just 15 points. He hit 14 aces and had just one double fault in the 2-hour, 19-minute match.Rafter didn't win a single point on Sampras' serve in the 25-minute second set. He scored only five of 21 points against Sampras' usual 120-mph lightning bolts in the 24-minute third set. Rafter never got to a break point.

Howard County jurors will return to deliberations today in the trial of a Baltimore man charged with shooting a Columbia pizza delivery woman on New Year's Day, 1999. The jury went home last night after spending nearly nine hours considering the fate of 21-year-old Naim Quinton Abdul-Muhaimin. The defendant is accused of robbing Martha Lunsford, 31, dragging her across a parking lot and shooting her in the jaw. Abdul-Muhaimin is charged with attempted murder, assault, robbery, attempted carjacking and use of a handgun in a felony.

Charles A. Frock told a Carroll County judge yesterday that he was frightened March 15 when a man came to his home and beat him for a $15 debt but should have let police handle the matter instead of chasing the suspect into downtown Westminster with his deer rifle.The jury that heard Frock's case in August agreed, convicting him of first-degree assault on Eric G. Webb, 31, of Manchester and reckless endangerment.Sentencing guidelines call for 18 to 25 years in the state prison system for Frock, according to Assistant State's Attorney Tom Rafter of Howard County.