INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Pete Sampras, already burdened by guilt from the worst loss of his Davis Cup career two days earlier, felt a searing pain in his thigh.
U.S. Davis Cup captain John McEnroe sensed his heart stop at the sight of Sampras pulling up after a running forehand.Turns out there was no need to worry. Sampras wasn't about to quit on an American team whose hopes rested on him winning the decisive singles match Sunday against the Czech Republic.
"John would've choked me," Sampras said. "I could see it in his eyes when I told him I hurt my leg, he didn't want any part of it."
Sampras recovered and served 18 aces in a 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (2) win over Slava Dosedel to clinch a 3-2 victory and send the United States into the semifinals.
Earlier, Andre Agassi prevented the Czechs from clinching the quarterfinal by beating Jiri Novak 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 to tie the series 2-2.
"It was a great day for American tennis," Sampras said.
The United States will play Spain, a 4-1 winner over Russia, on July 21-23 on a surface and at a site chosen by the Spaniards.
The Americans rebounded from a 1-2 deficit for the second straight round, and only the fifth time in U.S. Davis Cup history. They were in similar trouble against Zimbabwe in McEnroe's debut as captain before advancing.
After Agassi's win revved up 12,202 flag-waving fans at the Forum, Sampras took to the fast hardcourt and quickly broke Dosedel for a 2-1 lead.
Sampras secured the break with a running forehand, but he limped to his chair. McEnroe urged him to "suck it up so we can get out of here in 45 minutes."
The strained left thigh affected Sampras' movement on some shots, but he held for a 3-1 lead. He resumed his serve-and-volley game to great effect.
Dosedel had no answer for Sampras' booming serve, which reached a high of 129 mph early in the second set. Sampras connected on 90 percent of his first serves and had 56 winners to Dosedel's 13.
"Adrenaline is an amazing drug that can get you through a lot of tough situations," he said.
"Slava was playing his best tennis, but it simply wasn't good enough for Pistol Pete," Czech coach Jan Kukal said.
Playing a fifth and decisive match for the first time in his seven-year Davis Cup career, Sampras hit a backhand winner off a 113-mph serve by Dosedel to win the tiebreaker 7-2 and set off a red, white and blue celebration in the crowd at the Forum.