By PETER KRUPKA and AAP
4jan99

THE last man Pat Rafter expected a favour from in his quest to become world No.1 was Pete Sampras, the holder of that position. Sampras's decision to miss the Australian Open has paved the way for any of the top players – including Rafter at No.4, Carlos Moya, Marcelo Rios and Alex Corretja – to take the top spot.

The Australian refuses, however, to get carried away with the prospect of achieving his 1999 goal earlier than he would have dreamed.

"This year I don't know how it's going to go," Rafter said. "I've obviously set my goal to be No.1 but if that doesn't happen, no worries."

In Adelaide for the men's hard-court AAPT Championships, Rafter said that the 27-year-old American had contested a heavy 1998, when he altered his schedule to play seven tournaments in seven weeks in Europe to ensure he would hold the top ranking for a record sixth successive year.

Rafter is familiar with the physical and mental strain placed on professional players, but says Sampras is particularly prone to burnout.

"He's had those sort of problems for a long time when he does play a lot and then he does tend to break down," Rafter said.

"As much as it's a physical burden, I think he's also suffering mentally as well. It's very tough to keep going in the tour."

Rafter believes Sampras is thinking about playing Davis Cup in 1999, and applauds the American should his decision to save himself for cup duties have influenced his decision to take a rest.

"If that's the case, I really respect his decision because everybody should be playing for their country," Rafter said.

But he is surprised Sampras, who won 61 of 78 matches last year, has passed up the opportunity to equal Australian Roy Emerson's record of 12 grand slam titles.

"It just opens up the draw for a lot of other players to win it," Rafter said.

The back-to-back US Open champion says the non-appearance of Sampras will not change his tactics for the Australian Open.

"You take one match at a time," Rafter said. "I realise I can lose to anyone at any time, so (I will) just knuckle down and hopefully get a good draw."

He foreshadows a lighter year for himself, saying he will play less tournaments because the ATP tour is so demanding and 2000 is going to be a tough year.

Australian Open organiser Paul McNamee announced Sampras's decision to take a break after receiving the news from the player's agent, Jeff Schwarz.

"It is disappointing for the tournament, but he's obviously worn out and needs to take a rest," McNamee said.

"It was a very big decision for Pete, it's the first grand slam he will have missed in over five years."

The last grand slam tournament Sampras missed was the 1992 Australian Open.

McNamee admits the American's absence is a blow for the Australian Open, but points to Sampras being the only one of the top 30 men not scheduled to play the tournament.