Will the pressure of being world tennis No. 1 be too much for Patrick Rafter as he prepares to defend his US Open title? ADRIAN McGREGOR reports.
24jul99

IN BOSTON this week, John Newcombe presented Pat Rafter with a trophy to celebrate his ascent to world No.1. Now Australia can only wait and hope it wasn't a poisoned chalice.

Because in the past, achieving No. 1 has robbed successive champions Jim Courier and Andre Agassi of ambition and sent their careers plummeting.

Only Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe and Pete Sampras were able to withstand long-term the enormous pressure of being top dog.

This year, computer quirks and Sampras's erratic form have seen a rejuvenated Agassi, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Carlos Moya and Sampras briefly top the rankings.

Rafter has hovered around No. 2 and rises to No. 1 when the official computer boots up on Monday.

But Newcombe presented Rafter with the No. 1's trophy in a small Aussie team ceremony after Rafter led Australia to defeat the United States in their dramatic Davis Cup quarterfinal last Monday.

Newcombe, the only other Australian to be computer-ranked world No. 1 – 25 years ago – congratulated Rafter and offered these timely words of wisdom: "Just remember, it's good to be king."

Newcombe's words were both congratulatory and salutory, a reminder that it will be as tough for Rafter to hold on to top place as it was reaching it.

"Pat and Agassi are really close together in points and Sampras is just behind them," says Newcombe.

"So No. 1 could jockey back and forth between them for a while. But I've always said that in the years 2000 and 2001, Pat will be No. 1 more often than any other player.

"So, as far as I'm concerned, reaching the top now is just an early bonus."

It won't just be Agassi and Sampras snapping at Rafter's heels, says five-times Wimbledon doubles champion Ken Fletcher. "Now, every match in the early rounds, some unknown will be thinking it's his chance to claim the No. 1's scalp," Fletcher said.

"It's stressful enough being ranked No. 10, with the No. 11 looking to knock you off, and it just escalates the higher you go.

"But Pat's a tough nut, he's proved that in those Davis Cup matches."

Former US Open champion Mal Anderson, who once traveled with and coached Rafter, doesn't think the No. 1 ranking will overwhelm him.

"He's a wonderful guy, he's got his head screwed on and his family keeps him focused," he said.

"Sure, he'll have added pressure but the more he gets the better he responds. So he'll have defeats but it won't be through being No.1."

Rafter's big challenge will be to defend his twice-won US Open title in September, but his defense of No. 1 will chime in much earlier.

Under the computer points system, to retain No. 1 Rafter has to match his results last year in equivalent tournaments this year.

In truth, the only reason he has become No. 1 is because a Washington tournament which Agassi won last year has been pushed back three weeks, thus denying Agassi the chance to defend the points he needed to retain No.1.

Meanwhile, Rafter, who won three events leading up to the US Open last year, has to win them again this year.

He plays Montreal on August 2 and Cincinnati on August 9 – both of which he won last year – and if he loses either he will almost certainly lose top spot.

He will then play Washington on August 16 but, because he failed there last year, he will be under correspondingly less pressure this year.

Despite his dual US Opens, there is an opinion that Rafter cannot claim to be the complete world No. 1 until he has won Wimbledon, as have Sampras and Agassi.

Former Australian, Wimbledon and US champion Ashley Cooper says that is not far off, within the next two years.

Says Cooper: "He's becoming very proficient on grass but to win he has to modify his serve a bit.

"He has to get more slice on his second serve instead of relying on the kicker.

"At Wimbledon the grass is softer and the kicker doesn't work as well.

"Pat's of the new era of Australians who weren't brought up on grass, but he's learning and he'll get there."