New York: Pete Sampras says he still has what it takes to win a Grand Slam tennis title and none of the game's young stars vying for victory at the US Open have been able to prove him wrong so far.

Four-time US champion Sampras outlasted third seed Tommy Haas of Germany 7-5, 6-4, 6- 7 (5/7), 7-5 here on Tuesday to reach the quarter-finals of the year's final major championship.

"The days of me dominating are over, but I still feel like I have a major in me. I'm going to give it my best shot," Sampras said.

The 31-year-old American has not won a title since capturing his record-setting 13th career Slam crown in 2000 at Wimbledon. But his deadly serve and solid volleys were more then enough to take out Haas on less than a day's rest.

"It took stamina," Sampras said. "I was feeling it at the end. This is the US Open. You dig deep.

"I played well. It was a good win to get through that in four."

Next in Sampras' path is Andy Roddick, the hard-serving 20-year-old American who idolised Sampras since boyhood. Roddick rallied to beat Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

"I'm excited. That's what you play for, matches like that. It will be a dream come true for me," Roddick said.

"I hope it's a nightmare for him and a dream for me," Sampras said.

Thursday’s other quarter-final will match two unlikely contenders -- Grand Slam quarter-final debutante Fernando Gonzalez of Chile and Dutchman Sjeng Schalken, who reached his first Slam quarter-final in 29 tries at Wimbledon.

Schalken, seeded 24th, ousted Brazil's Gustavo Kuerten 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (5/7), 7- 6 (7/4) while Gonzalez, seeded 28th, dispatched France's Arnaud Clement 6-4, 6-2, 6- 3.

Sampras fired 27 aces and 82 winners to capture his 200th Grand Slam match, the third-most all time, and sustain his hopes of a third consecutive trip to the Flushing Meadows final.

"I played pretty well. I got my game going at a pretty high level," Sampras said. "I kind of clicked. It was a good win. Any time you can serve 130 (mph) on the line, you are going to be a threat.

"It's confidence. It's being comfortable. I'm getting into a rhythm. This past week and a half, I have gotten my game going. I'm comfortable here. This is our Super Bowl. I'm pretty pumped up, ready to go."

Sampras had a more blistering response for Britain's Greg Rusedski, who sneered after losing to Sampras on Monday that Haas would surely win because Sampras was a step and a half slower and nowhere near as strong as his glory days.

"Against him, I don't really need to be a step and a half quicker," Sampras fired back. "I don't really worry about what he says. I can't waste my energy on stuff like that."

In the fourth set, Sampras hit a backhand volley winner to seize a match point on Haas' serve and the German double faulted to end the match after three hours and five minutes.

Agencies