a set and 4-1 down in a second set tie-break to claim his seventh All England championship and a new Grand Slam record yesterday.

Bermuda resident Rafter showed the kind of courage that had inspired him to bungee jump off a building in Germany recently, just weeks after returning to the game following a career-threatening shoulder injury.

But against the man with `Wimbledon men's champion' virtually imprinted on his forehead, it was not quite enough.

In the end, it was Rafter's inability to counter the dominant Sampras serve that put paid to his remarkable challenge as he failed to break throughout the match.

Magnanimous in defeat, he said immediately afterwards: "I had my opportunities early on, but when you play a champion like Pete, you have to play your best to win.

"Anything this year is a bonus for me and this is a big bonus, even to finish second.'' Sampras was always in control of a first set twice interrupted by the weather but the Australian refused to yield, even after two hours in the locker room, as the rain sheeted down, contemplating a fourth deuce on his serve at 4-4.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to spot a way in which Rafter could break the Sampras serve -- the American's second serve was as powerful as Rafter's first -- and the Australian's best chance was looking to be the tie-breaker.

And so it proved. Rafter finally found a couple of returns off the reigning champion's serve worthy of the name, Sampras threw in a couple of double faults, the second one terminal at 10-11 to give the gutsy Rafter the set 7-6.

Where Rafter's semi-final against Andre Agassi had been a showcase of tennis, a contrast of styles, a tactical battle with few shots in the coaching manual left unused, this was serve-and-volley with the emphasis mostly on the serve.

It was tense, but a not particularly appetising spectacle, although it improved in quality as Rafter began to show more confidence on his returns and the rallies became more numerous and longer in duration.

Both players failed to take break points in the second and third games of the second set, but after that it seemed to be taking a natural course towards another tie-breaker.

Sampras double faulted on the first point and Rafter raced into a 4-1 lead, but the Australian took his foot off the pedal with his own double fault and the American, seeing some daylight, sped past him, reeling off five points in a row and taking it 7-5.

That altered the balance of the match -- only slightly, but Sampras does not need the hole to be particularly wide to crawl through it.

Rafter admitted later he had choked a little in the second tie-break.

"When I went 3-1 up it was OK, then the nerves took over. It was choking, I guess,'' said the 12th seed. "To know you were there with a great chance to go two sets up, I couldn't see myself losing from there.

"But I never really bounced back from losing the set and I was struggling with my rhythm all day.

"It's tough but you have to cop it on the chin. I had great support out there and I'll go away knowing I had a great tournament.'' Rafter began to have problems holding his serve as Sampras' returns went more consistently to his feet, but it seemed as if he had recovered a tricky situation at 2-2 and 0-40, fighting back to deuce, but then he netted with a simple volley to give the American the first break of the match. It was enough to capture him the third set.

And a mis-hit backhand earned Sampras the crucial break in the fourth after Rafter had saved two points on his serve. Even then Rafter refused to lie down, having two chances to break back in a game of four deuces on Sampras' next service game.

Sampras had more fortune as Rafter dropped serve again in the fading light on Centre Court and served out to win the match, and surpass Roy Emerson's 12 Grand Slam wins.

Rafter said he would try to catch a flight to Australia early today for his next engagement in the Davis Cup semi-final against Brazil.

"I'm very excited about it,'' he said. "I'm going into it still very confident.'' Of Sampras' record, he said: "It's a great achievement. Seven wins -- I'm never going to know what that feels like.'' Feeling the heat: Bermuda-based Pat Rafter tosses his racquet in frustration after dropping his serve during yesterday's Wimbledon men's singles championship against Pete Sampras. Two-time US Open winner Rafter was beaten in four sets as Sampras completed the most Grand Slam victories by any player in tennis history.