Becker Overcomes Sampras With Strong Inside Game

Boris Becker showed he has recovered from a serious wrist injury, defeating top-ranked Pete Sampras, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, to win the Eurocard Open tennis championship Sunday at Stuttgart, Germany.

“He is to Germany what Michael Jordan is to the United States,” Sampras said. “There’s only one king in Germany and his name is Boris.”

Playing in only his third tournament since injuring his wrist at Wimbledon in June, Becker, who served 29 aces, won his 48th title, his 29th indoors.

“Being this good this soon after the injury is the best Christmas gift I could have,” Becker said.

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Top-seeded Anke Huber of Germany defeated fifth-seeded Karina Habsudova of Slovakia, 6-3, 6-0, to win the Seat Luxembourg Open.

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Lisa Raymond won her first WTA title, beating Els Callens of Belgium, 6-4, 6-4, in the Bell Challenge at Quebec City.

Golf

Left-hander Bob Charles, 60, of New Zealand had an eagle and two birdies over the final five holes to hold off Hale Irwin and successfully defend his Kaanapali Classic title at Kaanapali, Hawaii.

Charles’ closing 2-under-par 69 gave him a 54-hole total 198 and a one-stroke victory over Irwin, who had a 70. Irwin moved past Jim Colbert in the money race on the Senior PGA Tour. Irwin’s winnings for the year are $1,557,344, $40,000 more than Colbert with two tournaments left.

The U.S. LPGA team won eight of the 18 singles matches and tied four others, finishing with a 21 1/2-14 1/2 victory over Japan in the $675,000 Nichirei International at Ami, Japan. It was the Americans’ 12th victory in a row and 16th overall against only two losses.

At Sotogrande, Spain, Zimbabwe’s Mark McNulty shot a 3-under-par 68 and won the Volvo Masters by seven shots in the PGA European Tour’s season-ending event. It was McNulty’s third victory of the year and 15th in his European career. He had a 72-hole total of 8-under 276.

Motor Racing

Bobby Hamilton won the Dura-Lube 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, earning his first Winston Cup victory and giving car-owner Richard Petty his first victory in 13 years. Winston Cup stock car points leader Terry Labonte finished third.

Miscellany

Isaac Garcia, a physical education instructor in the Mexican Navy, ran 2 hours 15 minutes 9 seconds to win the Marine Corps Marathon in Arlington, Va. Emma Cabrera of Mexico was the women’s winner in 2:48:34.

Canada tied host Panama, 0-0, in soccer and advanced to the six-nation final round of regional qualifying for World Cup ’98 in France.

Nancy Deschamps scored on a rebound at 11:30 of the third period to give Canada a 1-0 victory over the United States in the finals of the inaugural Three Nations Cup women’s hockey tournament at Ottawa.