Edberg, Becker Still Unbeaten in ATP : Tennis: Swede is assured of maintaining his No. 1 ranking after 7-5, 6-4 victory over Sampras.

Stefan Edberg of Sweden made sure of ending the year as the top-ranked player in the world by beating Pete Sampras, 7-5, 6-4, Friday to advance to the semifinals of the ATP World Championships.

Edberg, who took over the No. 1 spot on Aug. 13, broke Sampras once in each set and eliminated him from the tournament.

In the semifinals, Edberg will play Ivan Lendl of Czechoslovakia, who lost to Boris Becker of Germany, 1-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, Friday. Becker will play Andre Agassi.

Both Becker and Edberg finished the round-robin portion of the tournament at 3-0. Lendl and Agassi were 2-1.

Sampras, at 19 the youngest player in the tournament, finished 1-2.

“I am disappointed not to qualify, but it’s been a good year for me,” Sampras said.

Sampras started out quickly in the first game against Edberg, hitting one serve at more than 120 m.p.h. But when Sampras had a break point in the fourth game, Edberg saved it with a backhand return and went on to hold.

Edberg broke Sampras in the 11th game to go up, 6-5, when the American netted a backhand return. Edberg then held serve to win the first set.

In the second set, Edberg never faced a break point and broke Sampras’ serve in the third game.

Lendl, making a record 11th appearance in the year-ending event that he won five times when it was known as the Masters, stunned Becker in the first set by charging to the net behind almost every serve.

Usually more comfortable at the baseline, Lendl dropped only three points on his serve in the first set.

“Maybe I am trying to become a serve-and-volley player in the second half of my career,” Lendl joked after the match.

But Becker, cheered on by the crowd of 9,000, rallied in the second set and then in the third set gained the key break in the ninth game.

In the 10th game, a backhand volley that touched the line gave Becker two match points and he converted the first by getting his 13th ace.

“I sort of took it as a great practice day, win or lose there was nothing at stake for me,” Lendl said. “He was serving well and he was volleying better than I’ve seen him in some time.”

Becker agreed that it was a good practice day, “but it was a pretty long practice day.

“After the first set, I was just trying to win a couple of more games. But I started playing better. It was a matter of pride,” said Becker, who evened his career record against Lendl at 9-9.

Sampras said he was still considering whether to play at next month’s $6-million Grand Slam Cup, the richest tournament in tennis history.

“My health comes first,” said Sampras, who has had shin splints.