Sampras, Becker Reach ATP Final

After two losses to Boris Becker in Germany, Pete Sampras has his chance for revenge.

Sampras, ranked No. 1 in the world, survived a barrage of 35 aces by Croatia’s Goran Ivanisevic to reach the final of the ATP Tour World Championships at Hanover, Germany, with a 6-7 (8-6), 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 victory Saturday.

“It’s scary to play this guy,” Sampras said. “I’ve never faced a bigger server in tennis. It’s so frustrating playing him.”

Becker, the defending ATP champion and, like Sampras, seeking a record third title, rallied to defeat Dutchman Richard Krajicek, 6-7 (7-4), 7-6 (7-3), 6-3.

Becker dropped his serve after a double fault and long forehand to trail, 6-5. He screamed in anger, bothered by the noise made by photographers on the side of the court.

Becker broke back in the next game and led, 4-1, in the tiebreaker, before Krajicek ran off six consecutive points.

Golf

Greg Norman, seeking his fifth Australian Open title and second in a row, shot a one-under-par 71 in the third round at Sydney’s Australian Golf Club Course and will take a four-shot lead into today’s final round.

Norman had four birdies and three bogeys. Second is Sweden’s Klas Eriksson, who shot a four-over 76. Norman has a 54-hole total of five-under 211.

Tiger Woods shot his best round of the tournament, a one-under 71, but he is 11 shots off the lead.

Ernie Els and Wayne Westner combined for a 14-under-par performance to give South Africa a 13-stroke lead after three rounds of the World Cup of Golf at Cape Town, South Africa.

The two big hitters posted identical scores for the third day in a row, this time with seven-under 65s. That gave them each 205 totals and an aggregate total of 410.

Scotland was in second place at 423, with the United States team of Tom Lehman and Steve Jones third at 426.

Baseball

Sentiment is growing among club owners that baseball’s proposed labor agreement could be approved during their meeting scheduled for Tuesday in Chicago.

The owners voted, 18-12, during a meeting in Chicago earlier this month to reject the deal completed during the World Series by their negotiator, Randy Levine, and Players Assn. chief Donald Fehr. But acting Commissioner Bud Selig has scheduled another owners’ meeting and may take another vote.

Winter Sports

Irina Slutskaya of Russia and American Tara Lipinski performed lackluster programs at the Nations Cup women’s figure skating competition at Gelsenkirchen, Germany, but finished one-two.

Both faltered on triple jumps, and their subdued presentations split the judging panel, four for Slutskaya and three for Lipinski, who is competing internationally for the third year.

Angelika Krylova and Oleg Ovsiannikov of Russia won the ice dancing competition.

American Kirstin Holum, the 16-year-old daughter of 1972 Olympic champion Dianne Holum, finished a surprising third in the 1,500-meter race in the speedskating World Cup at Berlin.

Holum clocked 2 minutes 7.09 seconds to finish behind Germany’s Gunda Niemann and Tonny De Jong of the Netherlands.

Claudia Riegler of New Zealand gave away most of a big first-run lead, then held on to edge Sweden’s Pernilla Wiberg by .07 seconds and win a women’s World Cup slalom ski race at Park City, Utah.

Bjorn Dahlie of Norway won the World Cup cross-country ski opener at Kiruna, Sweden, and became the men’s career leader with his 31st victory.

Sweden’s Gunde Svan won 30 Cup races during his career.

Two North American teams stunned the Germans and took the first two places in the season-opening two-man bobsled World Cup at Altenberg, Germany.

The Canada One team of driver Pierre Lueders and brakeman Dave McEachern edged United States One, with Jim Herberich and Garrett Hines, by 0.08 seconds.

Finland’s Jari Mantila won the ski jumping part of the Nordic Combined at Rovaniemi, Finland.

Mantila recorded jumps of 91.5 meters. Mario Stecher of Austria and Tim Tetreault of the United States were second and third. The field competes in the 15-kilometer cross-country race today.

Miscellany

Virgil Hill added the International Boxing Federation light-heavyweight title to his World Boxing Assn. crown with a 12-round split decision over Germany’s Henry Maske at Munich.

Buffalo Bill wide receiver Justin Armour, plagued by a foot injury since last season, was put on injured reserve and will be out for the season. The Bills also waived safety Mike Salmon to make room for linebacker Dan Brandenburg and running back Jason Bratton, who were activated from their practice squad.

The top-ranked USC men’s water polo team defeated third-ranked UCLA, 12-10, at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center.