Sampras and Agassi Get Scares on Way to ATP Quarterfinals

Pete Sampras double-faulted on set point, then rallied to defeat doubles specialist Mark Woodforde, 6-7 (7-5), 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), Thursday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the $2.2-million ATP Championship at Mason, Ohio.

Woodforde played the world’s No. 1 player on even terms for 2 hours 56 minutes--the longest match of the tournament. But Sampras prevailed and has now defeated Woodforde in all eight of their matches.

Defending champion Andre Agassi, breaking his racket in disgust after dropping the first set, defeated Alex O’Brien, 6-7 (7-5), 6-3, 6-0.

“It happens pretty often with me,” Agassi said of the racket outburst. “I wouldn’t really care to admit that, in one sense. But in another sense it is hard to deny it.”

In matches interrupted by a midafternoon thunderstorm, No. 3 Michael Chang defeated Cristiano Caratti, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, and No. 9 Wayne Ferreira stopped No. 8 Jim Courier, 7-6 (11-9), 6-7 (7-4), 6-2. In the other evening match, No. 10 Thomas Enqvist defeated Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2.

In matches completed before the rain, second-seeded Thomas Muster, No. 4 Yevgeny Kafelnikov and No. 5 Goran Ivanisevic advanced.

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Monica Seles and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario advanced to the quarterfinals of the $1.3-million du Maurier Open at Montreal, but Jennifer Capriati made a painful exit.

Seles, who returned from a 27-month layoff to win the du Maurier last year in Toronto, survived a tough opening set to defeat 1988 champion Gabriela Sabatini, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1.

Sanchez Vicario was treated early in her third-round match for a stretched muscle in her right elbow, then bounced back to defeat 10th-seeded Amanda Coetzer, 7-5, 6-1.

Capriati, in her first tournament since the French Open in May, retired in the second set against Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria after straining a muscle in her right hip.

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The Fed Cup final between the United States and Spain will be held Sept. 28-29 at the Atlantic City (N.J.) Convention Center.

Seles and Olympic gold medalist Lindsay Davenport are expected to play for the United States. Vicario and Conchita Martinez are expected to play on the Spanish team, seeking its fourth consecutive Fed Cup title.

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Marcelo Charpentier upset fourth-seeded Hernan Gumy in straight sets in an all-Argentine second-round match at the San Marino International tournament. . . . Top-seeded Barbara Paulus defeated Hungarian qualifier Katalin Miskoczi, 6-2, 6-3, to reach the quarterfinals of the Styrian Open at Maria Lankowitz, Austria.

Boxing

David Reid, the only U.S gold medalist at the Atlanta Olympics, will announce a deal to turn pro next week.

Reid, a light-middleweight, said he had spoken with promoter Bob Arum about three months ago. As of now, though, there is no contract with Arum, Reid’s manager, Anthony Capitolla, said.

Julio Cesar Chavez lashed out at the Mexican government and former friends and family for smearing his reputation through allegations of tax evasion and money laundering.

In a full-page newspaper advertisement in Mexico City’s Reforma newspaper, the former light-welterweight champion denied recent reports in Mexican newspaper El Financiero that he has business ties to drug barons in his home state of Sinaloa.

The New York State Athletic Commission will lift the suspension it imposed on manager Lou Duva stemming from the melee that followed the July 11 heavyweight fight between Riddick Bowe and Andrew Golota at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Basketball

The Cleveland Cavaliers waived retired center Brad Daugherty and renounced the rights to guards Dan Majerle and Harold Miner. The moves open room under the salary cap for the Cavaliers, who are expected to sign a free agent soon. The waiving of Daugherty frees $5 million under the cap.

Drexel University extended the contract of men’s Coach Bill Herrion through 2001.

Jurisprudence

Former Denver Bronco receiver Clarence Kay has been named in an arrest warrant in a knife attack on a paramedic at a south Denver residence last month, police said.

Police said Kay was being sought on a warrant charging him with attempted first-degree murder and second-degree assault. The attack occurred July 16 when Denver paramedic Nick Voth, 29, was confronted by a man in his backyard while taking out the trash. The assailant stabbed Voth five times, but Voth was wearing a flak jacket he wears at work and his injuries were minor.

Miscellany

Sixteen people were murdered in Atlanta during the Centennial Olympic Games, police said, despite efforts by a 30,000-strong security force to rid the Olympic city of violent crime.

The Olympic murder count equaled a rate of nearly one homicide for each of the 17 days of competition, which ran from July 19 through Aug. 4. The total was a three-year high for the city.

Mighty Duck center Paul Kariya, who was to have played for Canada, will miss the World Cup of Hockey because of an inflamed lower stomach condition that is painful to the touch, and Canada added forwards Vincent Damphousse and Adam Graves to the roster for the eight-nation tournament. . . . Defenseman Jason Marshall has agreed to a three-year contract with the Ducks.

Top-seeded Barbra Fontana Harris and Linda Hanley were upset by Elaine Rogue and Dennie Shupryt-Knoop, 15-13, and second-seeded Karolyn Kirby and Nancy Reno fell, 15-11, to Gail Castro and Deb Richardson in the Evian International women’s beach volleyball tournament at New York. . . . The first skins arena polo game will be held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center today and Saturday.