Sampras: Good Backhand Will Beat 37 Aces

Pete Sampras was pelted by 37 aces from the fastest server in tennis on Saturday, but still defeated Greg Rusedski in four sets to earn a shot at the jackpot in the $6 million Grand Slam Cup finals in Munich, Germany.

Sampras proved steadier in the tie-breaking sets and won, 3-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-4), 6-2. In today’s final, with $1.5 million at stake, he will face Patrick Rafter, the U.S. Open champion who won a 4-hour, 17 minute marathon against Petr Korda, 7-5, 3-6, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-4), 9-7.

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Martina Hingis, the top-ranked women’s player and winner of three Grand Slam tournaments in 1997, sustained only her third loss in 72 matches, a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3) loss to Amanda Coetzer in the semifinals of the Leipzig Open in Germany.

Coetzer will face the second-ranked player, Jana Novotna, in today’s final. Novotna advanced with a 6-7 (6-8), 7-5, 6-4 victory over Anke Huber.

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Andrea Gaudenzi beat Kevin Goellner and Richard Fromberg defeated Francisco Clavet in semifinal matches, leaving two unseeded players to battle for the title in the Romanian clay-court tournament in Bucharest. . . . Nicolas Kiefer advanced to his first professional final by beating Alex Radulescu, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (8-6) in the Toulouse Open in France. Kiefer will face defending champion Mark Philippoussis, a 7-5, 6-4 winner over Vince Spadea, in the title match.

Boxing

Junior welterweight Johnny Montantes was in very critical condition following brain surgery after he was knocked out by James Crayton on Friday in Las Vegas.

Montantes hit his head hard on the canvas. He was in a coma when he was taken to University Medical Center, where he underwent brain surgery.

Golf

Isao Aoki shot a Senior PGA Tour record 60 in the second round of the Emerald Coast Classic in Milton, Fla., breaking the previous low of 61 and putting him one stroke behind co-leaders Vicente Fernandez and Simon Hobday.

Aoki missed the magical 59--the PGA record--when a birdie putt fell a foot short on 18.

Wendy Ward is on the verge of making her first LPGA victory the most impressive scoring feat in tour history after she again blistered the course in Cornelius, N.C., this time with an eight-under 64 that gave her a six-shot lead in Fieldcrest Cannon Classic.

Ward is at 21-under 195. The best previous 54-hole score was a 19-under, by Pat Bradley. The best 72-hole score ever is 20-under, by Nancy Lopez and Beth Daniel.

Stewart Cink followed a second-round 64 with a five-under 67 for a one-shot lead over three players heading into the final round of the B.C. Open in Endicott, N.Y.

Motor Racing

Pole sitter Rich Bickle ran away from the field on three late restarts and won the Hanes 250 NASCAR Craftsman Trucks race in Martinsville, Va.

Mika Hakkinen of Finland gained the first pole position of his career in qualifying for the Grand Prix of Luxembourg. The race is today--his 29th birthday. . . . John Force, the defending NHRA Winston Funny Car champion, took the No. 1 qualifying spot from Whit Bazemore with a run of 4.936 seconds at 310.77 mph in the Sears Craftsman Nationals at Topeka, Kan.

Miscellany

The agent for Kevin Garnett, having previously said he would no longer negotiate with the Minnesota Timberwolves, has agreed to meet with owner Glen Taylor to revive contract talks. The Timberwolves have until Wednesday to sign Garnett or he becomes a free agent after this season. . . . Scott Hamilton, recovering from testicular cancer, plans to return to skating in an exhibition Oct. 29 at the Forum. The show, “Scott Hamilton--Back on the Ice,” will feature Olympic gold medalists Kristi Yamaguchi and Ekaterina Gordeeva and four-time world champion Kurt Browning.

Chad Carvin of Laguna Beach, who overcame a life-threatening heart condition to win six U.S. titles and five international medals in 1997, was selected U.S. Swimmer of the Year. . . . Point guard Charles Williams, whose eligibility has been the focus of a nine-month investigation, has enrolled again at the University of Cincinnati, but apparently does not plan to ask to be reinstated to the basketball team.