"I am unluckiest player who ever lived, I was probably born unlucky" - When Goran Ivanisevic lamented losing to Pete Sampras in Wimbledon SF

Goran Ivanisevic once expressed his bitter regrets about losing to Pete Sampras in the semifinals of the 1995 Wimbledon Championships. Ivanisevic was aiming to win his maiden title at SW19, but his hopes were dashed by the American.

That year, Sampras entered the grasscourt Major as the second seed and two-time defending champion. Widely regarded as the favorite for the title, the American triumphed over the likes of Tim Henman, Gregory Rusedski and Shuzo Matsuoka to set up a blockbuster semifinal clash against fourth seed Goran Ivanisevic, marking a highly anticipated rematch of the previous year's final.

Pete Sampras had claimed a commanding 7-6(2), 7-6(5), 6-0 win over Ivanisevic in the 1994 final to clinch his fifth Grand Slam title. The defeat marked the second occasion of the Croatian falling short in a Wimbledon final, having previously suffered a narrow 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 loss to Andre Agassi in the title clash in 1992.

Sampras and Ivanisevic engaged in a closely contested battle in their much-awaited semifinal clash, with the American claiming a hard-fought 7-6(7), 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory to book his place in the final.

Goran Ivanisevic was understandably devastated after experiencing his second consecutive heartbreak at the hands of Sampras, lamenting his misfortune by bitterly calling himself the "unluckiest" player in history.

"I am always unlucky. I am unluckiest player who ever lived. I was probably born unlucky," he said (via Sports Illustrated).

Meanwhile, Sampras went on to triumph over third seed Boris Becker 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 in the final, clinching his third consecutive Wimbledon title and sixth Grand Slam title overall.

Pete Sampras and Goran Ivanisevic locked horns in the Wimbledon 1998 final

Pete Sampras won the Wimbledon 1998 title (Source: Getty)

Pete Sampras and Goran Ivanisevic locked horns in 18 tour-level encounters, with the American enjoying a 12-6 lead in their head-to-head record. Four of their 18 meetings took place at the Wimbledon Championships.

Although Ivanisevic claimed a 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-2 victory in the 1992 Wimbledon semifinals, Sampras triumphed in their 1994 final and 1995 semifinal encounters at the grasscourt Major.

The duo's last meeting at SW19 took place in the 1998 final, as the American pursued his fifth Wimbledon title while Ivanisevic continued the hunt for his maiden title at the grasscourt Major.

Pete Sampras extended his dominance against the Croatian, securing a hard-fought 6-7(2), 7-6(9), 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory to successfully defend his title and clinch his 11th Grand Slam crown overall.

While Sampras also emerged victorious at the 1999 and 2000 editions of the grasscourt Major, Ivanisevic eventually won his elusive maiden Wimbledon title in 2001, beating Patrick Rafter 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7 in the final.