The final of the Del Mar Development Champions Cup in Los Cabos, Mexico featured a high-quality battle between former rivals Pete Sampras and Patrick Rafter. At the end of the match, it was Sampras who came out as a victor in two tight sets (7-6, 6-4).
“It’s nice to win. I’d rather win than lose. It’s still competitive and the people here want to see you play tennis,” Sampras said after the match.
This served as Sampras’ second Outback Series title this season, winning the first one in Boston by beating John McEnroe. This also solidified the 14-Grand Slam winner’s place at the top of the Champions Series rankings with 1,600 points.
This tournament marked Rafter’s debut in the Champions series. He beat Luis Herrera in the quarterfinals and Jim Courier in the semifinals. His runner-up finish earned him 500 ranking points, good enough for a fifth place in the overall rankings.
