Splendor on the Grass

WIMBLEDON: Boris Becker, who won his first Wimbledon championship in 1985 at the age of 17 and dominated the grass at the All England Club for a decade after, will not play there again. After losing to Pete Sampras in the quarterfinal Thursday, Becker said he was through. Although he won the event three times and finished second another four in the past 14 years, Becker felt that age 31 he could no longer play at a high enough level to win. "I feel very relieved," he said afterwards. "I feel I've come to the end of the road with my head up high. And I feel I'm still playing good tennis. It's not like I'm losing to people I shouldn't lose to. I feel like I'm on the top of the mountain and I can only go down."