Sampras edges Escude in
five-set thriller

Pete Sampras held his nerve to blast past France's Nicolas Escude in a tense fifth set in the early hours of Sunday morning to reach the Australian Open fourth round.

After blowing three match points in a fourth set tiebreak, Sampras, the number eight seed, regrouped to win the titanic battle 7-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 after three hours and 50 minutes of high drama.

He clubbed down his 33rd ace on his seventh match point as the clock hit 1:42am local time to set up a last 16 match-up against explosive ninth seed Marat Safin.

Sampras, holder of a record 13 Grand Slam titles, has not won a major since Wimbledon 2000 but is hitting ominously good form in Melbourne.

"I let it get away there in the fourth set when I got tight… it was a tough match, a tough match," Sampras said.

"It was good tennis out there… we both played well, both had our chances. He is a very talented tennis player.

"I'm going to enjoy this for about five minutes and then look forward to Monday."

Escude was playing on the Rod Laver Arena centre court for the first time since leading France to a shock Davis Cup final victory over Australia last year, but just fell short of repeating the heroics of that December clash.

The American snatched the opening set under floodlights in 54 minutes, winning the tiebreak with some aggressive net play.

But Escude, the tournament's 30th seed, hit straight back in the second breaking at 6-5 when Sampras double-faulted to square the match.

A single break in the third set, Sampras's first of the match, gave the American a two-sets-to-one lead as local time turned midnight and he broke Escude for 3-2 in the fourth.

HOLLYWOOD WIFE

Cheered on by his Hollywood actress wife Bridgette Wilson and Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia, Sampras held in some style to stretch into a 4-2 lead.

Escude held serve for 4-3 and then put great pressure on the Sampras serve. The Frenchman earned a break point when his opponent netted a volley and broke back with a double-fisted passing shot.

Escude moved 5-4 ahead with an ace which rattled Sampras who was convinced the serve was long.

The Cyclops machine - used to indicate when a serve is long - was turned off after it was set off mid-point by moths in the stadium, and Sampras pegged the Frenchman back to 5-5.

Escude nudged into the lead 6-5 despite some sizzling returns from Sampras but the American forced the second tiebreak of the match.

A second break in the tiebreak gave Sampras a 6-3 lead and three match points.

He double-faulted on his first, going for a second serve ace down the middle, and Escude mis-hit a forehand return which fell in on the second.

Escude saved the third match point when Sampras put a backhand return wide and earned a set point when the next return also hit the net. He converted it with a spectacular forehand running passing shot to take the match into a fifth set.

Stung by the loss of those three match points, Sampras came out firing, broke at the first time of asking and stretched into a 3-0 lead.

He broke again for 4-0 and despite some French resistance with a counter break in the fifth game, held on for a 5-2 lead.

The American wasted another three match points in that game as Escude came back from 0-40 down to hold, but converted his next match point a game later for the most dramatic victory of the tournament.