Ankle Injury Sidelines Sampras

A twisted ankle knocked Pete Sampras out of the Monte Carlo Open on Wednesday and dimmed his chances of being in top clay-court form for next month’s French Open.

“My foot just got stuck to the court,” said Sampras, thwarted at least temporarily in his bid to regain the No. 1 ranking from Andre Agassi.

He is expected to be sidelined at least two weeks.

His opponent, Paul Haarhuis, advanced, as did Boris Becker of Germany, Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia and Gilbert Schaller of Austria.

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Top-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vicario defeated fellow Spaniard Angels Montolio, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, in the second round of a tournament in Barcelona, Spain. . . . Slovakia’s Denisa Szabova upset top-seeded Sabine Hack of Germany, 6-2, 6-3, at the Croatian Open in Zagreb, Croatia. . . . Top-seeded Alexander Volkov of Russia won two matches in the KAL Cup in Seoul, South Korea, beating countryman Marcus Ondruska, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, to reach the third round. He led Anders Jarryd, 4-6, 7-5, 2-0, when the Swede retired in their first-round match.

Boxing

World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe wants to fight Axel Schulz, the German heavyweight who boosted his popularity by losing a disputed decision to International Boxing Federation champion George Foreman, in late summer or early fall, said manager Rock Newman. Bowe will first defend his title against Cuban Jorge Luis Gonzalez June 17 in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Schulz’s promoter, Cedric Kushner, called the Foreman decision “wrong and unfair” and urged the IBF to overturn it. IBF President Bob Lee has already said the fight will be reviewed by a special committee.

Miscellany

The NBA Board of Governors approved the Clippers’ application to play 10 games at The Pond of Anaheim next season. The Clippers, who played six regular-season games and an exhibition game there this season, will play eight games and two exhibitions there in 1995-96.

The Indianapolis Colts reached agreement on a three-year, $6-million contract with quarterback Craig Erickson, completing a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a first-round draft choice.

Defensive tackle Mike Golic, released by the Miami Dolphins last May, said he is retiring and plans to pursue a career in broadcasting.

Three Michigan football players pleaded guilty in Ann Arbor to using a credit card without permission. Junior lineman William Carr, sophomore safety Marcus Ray and sophomore linebacker Sam Sword each face up to four years in prison and a $2,000 fine.

Three Washington State football players--Ali Evans, Shaheed Evans and James Cage--who authorities say were involved in a brawl have been charged with obstructing a police officer in Pullman, Wash.

The Western Athletic Conference is expected to be offered a three-year, $6-million deal by Las Vegas to hold its annual football and men’s basketball championships beginning in 1996 when Nevada Las Vegas joins.

Italy’s Gianluca Bartolami, the World Cup cycling champion who is competing in the United States for the first time, scored a split-second prologue victory in the Tour DuPont in Wilmington, Del. . . . A $1-million bonus is being considered as an incentive for a gold-medal performance next summer in the men’s Olympic road race, the U.S. Cycling Federation said.

At the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Liberty’s Ryan Werner won the college men’s decathlon and Diane Guthrie-Gresham of George Mason won the college women’s heptathlon for the fourth year in a row.

Italy moved closer to a spot in next year’s European Soccer Championship with a 1-0 victory at Lithuania. Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Spain virtually assured spots with victories. Germany tied Wales, 1-1, and the Netherlands lost, 3-1, to the Czech Republic in Prague.