Pat Rafter always had the potential to surprise in the manner he did yesterday. Despite being only 28, the former world number one revealed that he can no longer bear the rigours of the game and plans to retire at the end of the season.

The Australian has been involved in charity work and enjoyed a number of hobbies for some time. His love of the beach, of swimming with dolphins near his home in Bermuda, and his commitment to his own charity, Cherish the Children, now seem certain to replace the hours spent in the gym and airport lounges.

"There is more to life than tennis," he said yesterday after continuing his build-up to the Australian Open, which begins on Monday, by beating an outof-sorts Pete Sampras 6-4, 7-6 in the Colonial Classic.

"I have made this public now because I want the Australian fans to know that this year's Open could well be my last appearance in my own country. I will assess the situation at the end of the year but I know now the game does not hold the same attraction. It is a stressful life, and enough is enough."

Sampras, a year his senior, and Andre Agassi, 30, have urged him to carry on. "Pete told me I was still one of the young guys," said Rafter. John Newcombe, the outgoing Australia Davis Cup coach, has done likewise, but Rafter is not for turning. "This is my decision and no one else's," he said.

He will be best remembered for winning back-to-back US Open titles in 1997 - when he beat Greg Rusedski in the final - and 1998. He enjoyed a brief spell as world number one in July 1999 and was runner-up to Sampras at Wimbledon last summer but has since slipped to 15th in the rankings.

In Sydney, Martina Hingis further boosted her confidence before the Australian Open by beating Serena Williams in straight sets in the quarter-finals of the Adidas International. Williams had won three of their last four matches and in the other retired with a foot injury, but this time her rustiness after a two-month break from the game was exposed by the world number one, who won 6-4, 7-5.