10 Best Tennis Comebacks Of All Time
3. Sampras Def Courier - 1995 Australian Open
The 1995 quarterfinal at the Australian open was an emotional affair!
Pitting two Americans up against each other, Jim Courier made an all out attack on the shaky Pete Sampras backhand from the start of the match. With fierce backhand to backhand play, Sampras was struggling only seeming to hold on through his serve, giving no chance for breaks. Courier managed to secure the first and second sets on tie break, but finally in the 3rd we catch a glimpse of the Sampras we all know and love as he proceeded to take it fairly comfortably.
In the 4th, Courier broke in the fifth game and consolidated to go 4-2 up. Once again Sampras raised his game and fought to win the set, but something was clearly wrong with Pete at this moment - we now know that he was having an emotional breakdown on court after a fan shouted ‘Do It For Your Coach Pete’.
Sampras’s coach Tim Gullikson had, just prior to the Grand Slam, been diagnosed as terminally ill. Tears were visibly in the eyes of Pete while serving at 1-1 in the final set. Barely being able to keep his composure, Courier famously yelled across the court "Are you ok Pete? We can do this tomorrow, you know." Sampras dug deep as Courier’s levels dropped down. Game. Set. Match Sampras.
Pete Sampras (USA) Beats Jim Courier (USA) 6-7 (4-7), 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.