The rating for the all-American final was up 5.5 percent on the previous year's tournament climax which saw Sampras lose to world number one Lleyton Hewitt.
The high audience for the men's final will have come as a relief to CBS after the torrential rain that hit New York earlier on in the tournament had ruined the schedule of play leading to some matches being played late into the night. The wash-out had not only affected CBS' audiences but also its advertisers which the network was forced to compensate with free slots due to the lack of live play and consequent low viewing figures.
