Agassi Rallies to Beat Sampras in Meeting of Tennis’ Top Two

Andre Agassi started his march to the No. 1 ranking in last year’s Canadian Open. He clearly reinforced his grip Sunday.

“This tournament means a lot to me,” said Agassi, who rallied to defeat No. 2 Pete Sampras, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the final match at Jarry Stadium in Montreal.

“This is where it started for me last year, it has special meaning for that. And it’s winning tournaments like this that make you No. 1.”

Sampras dominated the opening set with his crushing service to become the first player in five matches to win a set from Agassi.

But Agassi rebounded in the second set and took control with his service returns and ground strokes.

A turning point came in the final set, when Agassi fought off three break points to hold service for a 4-1 lead.

It was Agassi’s fifth title this year and second in a row after a victory last week in Washington.

The result evened the career mark between the rivals at 8-8, but Agassi has won three of four meetings this year.

Agassi earned $254,000 and Sampras $133,800.

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Chile’s Marcelo Rios defeated Dutchman Jan Siemerink, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4, to win the $500,000 Netherlands International tournament in Amsterdam.

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Austria’s Judith Wiesner defeated Romania’s Ruxana Dragomir, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, to win the $107,500 Styria Open in Maria Lankowitz, Austria.

Motor Sports

In the second-closest Indy-car finish ever, Scott Pruett edged Al Unser Jr. by .056 seconds in the Marlboro 500 at Brooklyn, Mich., for his first victory in 70 career starts. Pruett, in a Lola-Ford Cosworth, averaged 159.676 m.p.h. in the 250-lap race on the high-banked Michigan International Speedway oval. The only closer Indy-car finish was the 1992 Indianapolis 500 when Unser beat Scott Goodyear by .043 seconds.

Michael Schumacher made history at the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim, becoming the first German driver to win his nation’s only Formula One race as Briton Damon Hill’s challenge lasted only one lap when his Williams-Renault spun out and hit the wall. Schumacher’s victory in a Benetton-Renault gave the defending series champion a commanding 21-point lead over Hill after 10 of 17 events.

Schumacher completed 45 laps at the 4.240-mile circuit in 1 hour, 22 minutes, 56.043 seconds. He beat Britain’s David Coulthard by 5.988 seconds, averaging 133.272 m.p.h. Austria’s Gerhard Berger was a distant third in a Ferrari.

Mark Tate drove Smokin’ Joe’s to victory in the Budweiser Columbia Cup hydroplane race at Kennewick, Wash., averaging 149.98 m.p.h. in the winner-take-all final heat.

Miscellany

Led by three goals from Tisha Venturini, the U.S. women’s national soccer team routed Taiwan, 9-0, in its first game of the U.S. Women’s Cup ’95 in New Britain, Conn. . . . U.S. soccer team member Paul Caligiuri is headed for the prestigious Bundesliga in Germany after agreeing to contract terms with St. Pauli of Hamburg. . . . Carl Lewis’ injured leg has improved enough that he probably will go to the track and field world championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, but it’s too early to tell if he will compete, Lewis’s business manager said. . . . Undefeated Wayne McCullough of Ireland took away Yasuei Yakusjiji’s World Boxing Council bantamweight title by a split decision in Nagoya, Japan. . . . Cuban pitcher Osvaldo Fernandez showed up in Miami on Sunday, a day after he defected and disappeared from Tennessee, where the Cuban baseball team played Team USA.