TENNIS ROUNDUP : Sampras and Lendl Prevail in Frankfurt Event

Pete Sampras, mixing powerful serves with delicate passing shots, beat Michael Stich, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3), Wednesday in the ATP Tour World Championships at Frankfurt, Germany.

Ivan Lendl beat Jim Courier, 6-2, 6-3, to go 2-0 in the event and virtually assure a spot in the last four. Courier, top seeded and the No. 2 in the world, dropped to 1-1.

Guy Forget beat Karel Novacek, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), to stay alive in the $2.25-million tournament featuring the top eight players in the world.

Second-seeded Gabriela Sabatini struggled past Natalia Zvereva, 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 6-2, to reach the quarterfinals of the Virginia Slims of Philadelphia tournament.

In other matches, Jennifer Capriati needed 2 hours 17 minutes to edge Lori McNeil, 7-6 (11-9), 6-7 (7-4), 6-2; and top-ranked Monica Seles beat Marianne Werdel, 7-5, 6-1. McNeil squandered four set points in the first set, including three in the tiebreaker.