TENNIS ROUNDUP : It’s Sanchez Vicario’s Turn to Beat Seles

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario saw others break down Monica Seles’ invincibility and decided it was her chance to break through.

Sanchez Vicario, who lost her previous 10 matches with Seles, scored a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory over the No. 1 women’s player in the world to win the Canadian Open Sunday at Montreal.

“I didn’t give up,” Sanchez Vicario said. “I kept fighting and it worked.

“I’m happy and proud because it was a great victory. It will give me confidence the next time I play her. I beat the jinx. Now that I beat her once, I know I can beat her again.”

For Seles, 18, the loss was another reminder that her game has slipped a notch with the U.S. Open just over a week away.

Seles lost a final for the third tournament in a row--the first time she has done that in more than two years.

“I’d just like to get my game back by next week,” Seles said. “It’s not so much the losses, because I lost each time for different reasons.

“I just think my game has not been at the level in the last three or four weeks that it was a month ago.”

Seles had trouble with her usually dominating serve all week and it showed again in the first set when Sanchez broke her twice.

Seles rallied in the second set, but Sanchez took a 3-0 lead in the final set. Seles rebounded for a 4-3 lead, but Sanchez forced another service break to tie the set, then won the last two games.

“I just choked,” Seles said.

Pete Sampras broke top-ranked Jim Courier once in each set for a 6-4, 6-4 victory to win the U.S. Hardcourts at Indianapolis for his third consecutive title.

Courier couldn’t handle Sampras’ powerful serve, consistently registered at nearly 120 m.p.h.

“This is the time of year where I really start playing well on hardcourt, which is my favorite surface,” Sampras said.

“I really served well against him. I mixed up my serves and he really couldn’t get any rhythm.”

Sampras twice came from behind to gain the match’s only service breaks. Tied, 2-2, in the first set and trailing 30-love, Sampras got back to 30-30 with a backhand volley winner and a forehand that passed Courier at the net.

Courier’s forehand sailed wide and Sampras ripped a forehand cross-court winner from the backcourt for the service break.

“He’s usually serving big, but if he’s hitting the ball well from the baseline he’s very tough,” said Courier, who is 1-5 against Sampras.

Courier led, 3-2, in the second set before Sampras won three consecutive games to take command. Courier had two game points while serving at 3-3, but committed errors that allowed Sampras to rally and break his serve.

Stefan Edberg defeated Ivan Lendl, 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-3, in the semifinals of the Volvo International at New Haven, Conn.

Edberg, seeking his first outdoor hardcourt title since the U.S. Open last year, will play in today’s final against the MaliVai Washington, who won eight consecutive games during a 6-4, 6-2 victory over unseeded Fabrice Santoro of France.