Tennis: Sampras back to his best

Pete Sampras produced a textbook serve and volley game against Mikhail Youzhny to progress to the US Open fourth round.

Sampras won in straight sets 6-3 6-2 6-2 against the Russian.

The American will meet Pat Rafter in Monday's featured night match.

Sampras said: "Everything is in place. I'm very hungry. I'm mentally fine. I'm physically fine. Everything is in one piece. I can't complain about the way the first week has gone.

"I'm going to have my hands full [aganist Rafter]," Sampras said.

"It's a tough section of the draw for all of us. There are a lot of US Open titles in that little section, but that's the way the draw went, and let's play it."

Sampras came into the tournament in the midst of a year-long slump and a paltry number 10 seeding, his lowest since 1990.

But through three rounds he has yet to drop a set, winning three tiebreakers, and he was particularly polished against Youzhny.

Sampras lost only seven points on his first serve, never faced a break point and won 52 points at the net.

The conditions seemed to put extra spring into Sampras' 30-year-old legs. Because the wind played havoc with lobs and passing shots, he charged to the net behind every serve and many of his service returns, and Youzhny crumpled under the pressure.

"The entire tennis world was waiting for a statement from Pete Sampras," US Davis Cup captain Pat McEnroe said.

"I think we got that statement today. It was a very impressive performance."