• July 9 down the years

Sampras wins his last Wimbledon

Pete Sampras was one of the greatest of all time on grass © Getty Images

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2000
Pete Sampras won the Wimbledon singles for the seventh and last time, equalling the record set way back in 1889 (8 July). Sampras had won three titles in a row before losing in the quarter-finals in 1996. Now he went one better by winning his fourth final in a row - though Australia's Pat Rafter had a chance to take a two-set lead. In a match interrupted by rain, the first two sets went to tie-breaks. Rafter survived two set points to win the first 12-10, then led 4-1 in the second with two serves to come. Then, frankly, he choked. Sampras won the tie-break 7-5 and the next two sets easily, the last 6-2.

The following year Rafter was back in the final, which was played on the same day of the month because it was postponed after more rain. Rafter's opponent Goran Ivanišević took three days to beat Tim Henman in the semi-final. Ivanišević had lost three previous finals: a classic against Andre Agassi (5 July 1991) and two to Sampras. He was unseeded in 2001 and this was clearly his last chance of a Grand Slam singles title. But he was still only 29, and there was enough left in that fantastic left-handed serve to produce 213 aces in the tournament, breaking the record he'd set in 1992 - and to take a 2-1 lead in the final. Rafter won the fourth set easily to set up an emotional waterfall of a fifth. Ivanišević, serving second, held his nerve and serve to reach 6-all and 7-all before Rafter missed four first serves to let Goran go 8-7 up. Being Ivanišević, he was incapable of making it easy for himself. His volleying was always surprisingly lax for such a great server. He missed an easy one now, then mixed four service winners with three double faults, including two at match point. He finally won it with yet another good serve, then ran up a courtside aisle to embrace his father, who was lucky to survive after a recent heart operation. "I don't care if I ever win a match in my life again," quoth the new champion. Just as well, because this was the last professional tournament he ever won. He was the only unseeded player to win a Wimbledon singles title since Boris Becker in 1985 (7 July).

2005
These British & Irish Lions were the most bloated squad they'd ever sent abroad. Forty players, almost as many support staff. Just what you'd expect from coach Clive Woodward, who'd taken the same approach with England. This is the man who took a lawyer with him to the 2003 World Cup. The lawyer was needed, too - so good thinking. This is the man who took Alistair Campbell, Tony Blair's spin doctor, to New Zealand in 2005. Campbell was a figure of fun out there - so big mistake. The blunt fact: all the planning and support in the world are a waste of money if the players aren't good enough. England won the World Cup because they were full of world-class talent, including several all-time greats. The 2005 Lions had the odd star but not enough quality in depth. Woodward knew that, so he gambled on some England players who were past it (Neil Back was 36, Graham Rowntree 34) or crocked: Jonny Wilkinson hadn't played for England since the World Cup final, Richard Hill never really recovered from a knee operation. The Lions lost the first Test easily (25 June), the second by a record score (2 July), and the third and last today to complete their latest whitewash in New Zealand. Wilkinson was dropped for Stephen Jones, who kicked 14 points. But the All Blacks scored five tries to one in a 38-19 win. Their captain Tana Umaga, who'd spear-tackled Brian O'Driscoll in the first Test, added insult with two tries.

A better day for the Lions in New Zealand, even if it was only temporary. After losing the first Test of the 1977 series to an interception try, they won the second by the same margin of four points, provided by the only try of the match, from winger John (JJ) Williams, who dummied inside three defenders. Phil Bennett's conversion hit a post, but the Lions led 13-6 at half-time and held out to win 13-9. It was their last win in New Zealand until 1993. This 1977 series was decided in the last minute of the last Test (13 August).

1965
Australian golfer Peter Thomson won the Open for the fifth and last time. He won the other four in the absence of the best Americans, including his first three in a row (1954-55-56). And he never won any other Major. But you couldn't accuse him of beating a weak field this time. In the first Open held at Birkdale, Jack Nicklaus tied for 12th and Arnold Palmer finished 16th, while defending champion Tony Lema was joint fifth. Thomson finished on seven under to beat Brian Huggett and Christy O'Connor snr by two shots.

Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus duelled in the sun © Getty Images

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The same day in 1977 gave us the 'Duel in the Sun', one of the great golf shoot-outs. In the first British Open staged at Turnberry, Jack Nicklaus shot 269, seven better than the previous record, ten ahead of the next man - and still lost. He finished with rounds of 65 and 66, but Tom Watson shot a pair of 65s. Watson's driving from the tee was better, so he made seven birdies to Nicklaus's four in the last round. Jack led by three shots after only four holes and by two after a 20-foot putt at the 12th. But Watson had his number at the time. He'd just beaten him into second place at the Masters, and now hit a superb 60-foot putt right up to the 15th hole. The pressure got to Nicklaus at the 17th, where he made the mistake of drawing conclusions from Watson's putt, missing from five feet to fall behind for the first time. He holed from 22 feet for a birdie at the last, but Watson needed only a two-footer for the title. It was the sixth time Nicklaus finished runner-up in the Open, and he did it again in 1979 - but he won it in the year between (15 July). Here at Turnberry, Mark Hayes shot a second-round 63 to break the Open record set by Henry Cotton in 1934 (). Nicklaus duelled with Watson again at the 1982 US Open (20 June). Watson made a shock return to Turnberry in 2009 (19 July).

1922
Johnny Weissmuller (born 2 June 1904) had only just turned 18 when he became the first swimmer to cover 100 metres in less than a minute. In Miami, his time of 59.6 seconds smashed the best time set by the equally great Duke Kahanamoku at the 1920 Olympics. Weissmuller broke his own record in 1924 (17 February), setting one that lasted ten years (2 March 1934).

The same day in 1978 saw the first hammer throw over 80 metres. Boris Zaichuk of the USSR broke the 79.30 set by a West German three years earlier. His own 80.14 lasted less than a month before another West German broke it.

1928
Federico Bahamontes was born as a mountain goat in Spain. A cyclist so superior on the steep climbs that he was known as the "Eagle of Toledo", he would reach summits on his own then stop and eat an ice cream while the others caught up. In the Tour de France, he was King of the Mountains six times and in 1959 became the first Spaniard to win the race itself. Profiting from the rivalry between French riders Jacques Anquetil and Roger Rivière (10 July 1960), he overtook them on an Alpine climb to increase his big lead. He was also King of the Mountains in the Tours of Spain (twice) and Italy.

1912
The first sprint relay gold medal at any Olympic Games was won by...Britain. They were helped by the USA team, who were disqualified in the semi-finals for passing the baton outside the zone. The Americans' 42.2 seconds was faster than the winning time in the Final. The British team of David Jacobs, Henry Macintosh, Victor D'Arcy, and the world-class Willie Applegarth (born 11 May 1890) finished less than a yard ahead of Germany, who were also disqualified for passing beyond the zone! Only Britain and Sweden finished the race. It was the last time a British quartet won the event until 2004 (28 August).

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