Result:
P Sampras (USA, 1) beat B Cowan (GB)
6-3 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 4-6 6-3

First set

Sampras races through his first service game winning to love with Cowan putting up little opposition.
Sampras 1-0 Cowan

The boot is on the other foot now and to huge cheers on court number one Cowan wins his first point with a thunderous serve.
He goes on to take the next three points and wins to love.
Sampras 1-1 Cowan

The serve is king in the late afternoon sun and Sampras wins to love as well.
Sampras 2-1 Cowan

Sampras takes the first point against serve off a double fault but Cowan easily holds to 15.
Sampras 2-2 Cowan

To roars of delight from the partisan crowd Cowan takes a 30-0 lead but nets a cross-court winner for three break points.
Sampras ensures that he does not give his opponent anymore opportunities and wins to 30.
Sampras 3-2 Cowan

Sampras breaks the strings on his racket in returning Cowan's first serve of the game.
The change of racket heralds a change in his game and although the champion is helped by two Cowan double faults he breaks to 15 in style.
Sampras 4-2 Cowan

Sampras looks far more focused and after taking a few games to find his rhythm he holds with ease to 15.
Sampras 5-2 Cowan

Sampras makes an unforced error with a volley at the net on set point and from deuce Cowan throws down two aces to stay in the set.
Sampras 5-3 Cowan

Off his own serve Sampras seals the set in 24 minutes holding to love by taking the game with an ace.
Sampras 6-3 Cowan

Second set

Cowan starts the second set confidently and wins the best point of the match at the net to take a 30-0 lead.
But his efforts are undermined by a string of unforced arrors and another double and he is broken to 30.
Sampras 6-3 1-0 Cowan

The match is threatening to become one-sided as Sampras holds with ease to 15.
Sampras 6-3 2-0 Cowan

Cowan serves another double fault but counters that with an ace and holds to 15 against a casual looking Sampras.
Sampras 6-3 2-1 Cowan

Sampras seals the game with a brace of aces winning to love.
Sampras 6-3 3-1 Cowan

Cowan makes a rare sortie to the net but is beaten all ends up by a Sampras passing shot down the line.
The Lancastrian returns the compliment with a wonderful cross-court passing shot following the best rally of the match but again a double fault hinders his efforts and Sampras breaks to 30 with a cross-court passing shot of his own.
Sampras 6-3 4-1 Cowan

Cowan takes a 30-0 lead off the American's serve but Sampras ups the tempo and power of his serve and holds after being taken to deuce.
Sampras 6-3 5-1 Cowan

After losing the first three points of the game to hand Sampras three set points Cowan recovers, and through a mixture of aces and Sampras errors wins the next five points to stay in the set.
Sampras 6-3 5-2 Cowan

Again Sampras wins the first three points but this time he makes no mistake and wins the set in 27 minutes on his fourth set point - his first of the game.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 Cowan

Third set

Cowan comes to the net to put away a volley at 40-30 and holds his serve in a scrappy game.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 0-1 Cowan

Sampras opens his service game with an ace and a pair of double faults before another ace levels the score at 30-30.
Aces number 13 and 14 seal the game.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 1-1 Cowan

Cowan struggles to hold his serve but from deuce saves a break point before stringing together a couple of good points to nose ahead again in the third set.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 1-2 Cowan

Sampras opens with another ace - double fault combination before play breaks following his third serve of the game.
The umpire over-rules cyclops and then loses where he is in relation to which serve Sampras is on before the champion asks "Where are we now then?"
Play resumes and Sampras takes the game to 15.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 2-2 Cowan

Cowan wins one of the best points of the match chasing down the ball before picking it up off his toes and sending a cross-court shot beyond the advancing Sampras.
He wins another rally to save a break point with a backhand touch volley at the net and follows it up to level at deuce with a forehand volley.
Cowan pulls through a tough game to hold serve again.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 2-3 Cowan

Sampras holds to love to put the pressure right back on his opponent's service game.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 3-3 Cowan

Cowan has trouble with his ball toss and finds himself facing another break point but he saves it pushing Sampras wide and picking off the volley at the net.
Again the Briton, to the delight of the crowd, wins from deuce.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 3-4 Cowan

Sampras looks slightly frustrated by the fact that his opponent is putting up such a fight when the game is beyond him but holds from deuce.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 4-4 Cowan

Cowan is playing some of his best tennis of the match but at 40-15 up tamely drops a volley into the net with Sampras off the court.
However he closes the door on Sampras and the chance of a break by serving an ace to hold on the next point.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 4-5 Cowan

Cowan takes a point off the champion's serve but no more as Sampras holds to 15.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 5-5 Cowan

For the fourth service game Cowan faces a break point and he saves two from 15-40 down.
From deuce he holds with a little help from the umpire on game point who over-rules cyclops and adjudges that Sampras did not change his shot because of the bleep giving Cowan the game on an ace.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 5-6 Cowan

Sampras holds to love to stay in the set and take it to a tie-break.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-6 Cowan

Tie-break
Cowan opens the tie-break and Sampras is unable to return his opening serve.
Cowan 1-0 Sampras
A big second serve ensure Sampras levels (1-1) and Cowan fails to return his serve on the second point.
Cowan 1-2 Sampras
Sampras sends his return looping long (2-2) andnets off Cowan's second service point.
Cowan 3-2 Sampras
Both players are sending down big serves and Cowan cannot return the first from Sampras (3-3) but he makes a mini-break when Sampras pushes a volley off his toes at the net long.
Cowan 4-3 Sampras
A Cowan ace has the crowd roaring in delight (5-3) and he brings up three set points when he puts away a winner at the net.
Cowan 6-3 Sampras
Cowan pushes a return long (6-4) and is unable to reach a clean volleyed winner from Sampras into the corner of the court.
Cowan 6-5 Sampras
Sampras sends his return low into the net to give Cowan the set in 55 minutes.
Cowan 7-5 Sampras
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 Cowan

Fourth set

The players come out to shouts of "Come on Barry" at the start of the fourth set but Sampras opens in commanding fashion holding to 15.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 1-0 Cowan

Sampras is unable to impose himself on Cowan's serve and the Briton, ranked 265 in the world, holds to love.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 1-1 Cowan

Sampras races through his service game and, like Cowan, wins to love.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 2-1 Cowan

It is tit-for-tat on court number one in the late evening and Cowan holds to love.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 2-2 Cowan

The first point against serve for 13 points goes to Cowan when Sampras nets a return.
The American nets another and pushes a volley wide to hand Cowan three break points.
Sampras saves one but is unable to get a racket to a clean cross-court Cowan winner on the second.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 2-3 Cowan

Cowan serves an eighth double fault on game point and nets a regulation backhand to give Sampras a break on advantage.
After saving seven break points in the previous set Cowan saves another and then another, with an ace, after serving a second double.
Cowan comes through a huge test and holds serve with a volley at the net to the delight of the partisan crowd.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 2-4 Cowan

Sampras holds to love to put the pressure back on Cowan.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 3-4 Cowan

Cowan opens with an ace and races to a 40-0 lead which he closes out to 15 after an unforced error gives Sampras his only point.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 3-5 Cowan

With an authoritative service game Sampras again holds to love closing with an ace.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 4-5 Cowan

Cowan makes a remarkable return at 15-15 with a backhand volley and three points later, after two hours and 19 minutes of tennis, he levels the match.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 4-6 Cowan

Fifth set

Sampras opens the deciding set, the first time he has been taken the distance at Wimbledon since the 1998 final, with another composed service game and wins to love.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 4-6 1-0 Cowan

Cowan opens his service game with a 10th double fault.
Sampras seems to wake form his slumber with a huge whipped lob and a cross-court winner to bring up three game points.
He only needs one as Cowan pushes a return long to the delight of the defending champion who clenches his fist on making what may prove a vital breakthrough.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 4-6 2-0 Cowan

The Briton digs deep and a huge forehand return levels the game at 30-30.
Sampras responds by serving a 110mph second serve down the middle and seals the game when Cowan pushes a return wide.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 4-6 3-0 Cowan

After the uncertainty of the previous two sets Sampras is finally playing like a champion and wins a second break - from a Cowan double fault - to virtually assure himself of victory.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 4-6 4-0 Cowan

Just as Sampras looks to be closing in on victory at alarming speed Cowan responds from 40-15 down to earn a break point.
The Briton breaks back, against all the odds, with a sensational cross-court winner.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 4-6 4-1 Cowan

Cowan's serve is back in the rhythm he was playing with in the fourth set and he holds to 15.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 4-6 4-2 Cowan

From 0-30 Cowan wins three successive points bringing up break point with another flashing backhand passing shot.
Sampras responds with an ace and then earns a game point only to net a volley.
At deuce on a ball that looks to hit the line the call goes Cowan's way but Sampras saves a second ace - his 28th - on a second break point.
Sampras holds when Cowan nets a return to move to within four points of victory.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 4-6 5-2 Cowan

Cowan holds his serve comfortably to put the spotlight and the pressure back on the defending champion.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 4-6 5-3 Cowan

After two hours and 52 minutes Sampras brings up three match points and takes the first with an ace before number one court rises as one to show their appreciation to the two players.
Sampras 6-3 6-2 6-7 4-6 6-3 Cowan