Pistol Pete Shoots Down Roddick

Pete Sampras last night beat young compatriot Andy Roddick in just 90 minutes to make the semi-final of the US Open.

Sampras disproved his critics and showed that he is far from past it by seeing off his 20-year-old opponent in straight sets - 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 - to set up a clash with the Dutchman Sjeng Schalken.

And Sampras, who has been without a grand slam win since Wimbledon 2000, keeps insisting he has another major in him to add to his record haul of 13 titles.

"Even though I'm not quite at the level I once was, I feel like when it comes to a big occasion I still have the goods," the 31-year-old said.

He certainly did rise to the occasion against Roddick, turning the anticipated match-up of experience versus youth into a history lesson.

Sampras served well and played aggressive tennis, burying his ground strokes and coming into the net at every occasion, much as he had done against Germany's Tommy Haas in the previous round.

"You guys say Pete is washed up. I never said it," Roddick said. "I don't think anybody doubts the fact that he's capable of great tennis still."

Sampras will now be fancied on Saturday against No24 seed Schalken, who outlasted Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (2) to get to his first major semi-final.

The winner of that will face either defending champion Lleyton Hewitt of Australia or America's Andre Agassi in Sunday's final.