TENNIS ROUNDUP : Sampras Wins Title in Sydney

Top-seeded Pete Sampras survived a first-set tiebreaker, then rolled to a 7-6 (9-7), 6-1 victory over No. 7 Thomas Muster of Austria today in the men’s final of the New South Wales Open at Sydney, Australia.

Fourth-seeded Jennifer Capriati showed little effect from the heat as she beat defending champion Gabriela Sabatini, 6-4, 6-2, in the women’s semifinals. Capriati, 16, will meet No. 5 Anke Huber of Germany in Sunday’s final. Huber defeated unseeded American Amy Frazier, 6-4, 6-3.

Sampras, playing for the fifth consecutive day and wearing a white baseball cap to ward off the relentless sun, did his best Australian accent in accepting the winner’s trophy with a “Thanks, mate.”

“I’m playing pretty well, (but) I’m pretty tired right now,” he added.

Capriati committed 31 unforced errors to 29 for Sabatini, who was seeded first in this $575,000 warm-up for next week’s Australian Open.

But Sabatini looked listless at times on the steamy center court at the White City complex. Capriati used her deceptive speed to track down tough shots and had 17 winners to five for Sabatini.

Courtside temperatures reached 122 degrees, although a slight breeze eased conditions slightly.

Top-seeded MaliVai Washington beat Brazil’s Luiz Mattar, 6-2, 6-3, to advance to the final of the Benson and Hedges Open at Auckland, New Zealand.

Washington will play second-seeded Alexander Volkov of Russia. Volkov took almost two hours to beat defending champion Jaime Yzaga of Peru, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7).