Sampras Puts on Another Classic Display

Before he took the court for the final of the ATP Tour Championship, Pete Sampras was voted the best tennis player of the past 25 years.

Then he went out and showed why.

In a demonstration of classic tennis, Sampras defeated Yevgeny Kafelnikov, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, on Sunday at Hanover, Germany to capture his fourth ATP Tour title.

“When my game clicks like that, I feel unbeatable,” Sampras said.

Kafelnikov wasn’t about to disagree, saying: “I wanted to walk off the court after the first set because I knew it was going to get worse. I felt so embarrassed. I had no chance.”

Sampras, the world’s No. 1 player for the fifth consecutive year, became the first player to win the ATP title in back-to-back years since Ivan Lendl in 1986 and 1987. He also won this season-ending event in 1991, 1994 and 1996, joining Ilie Nastase with four ATP titles. Only Lendl, with five, has won more.

Before the championship match, a 100-member panel of current and retired players, tournament directors and tennis writers chose Sampras as the top player of the past quarter century. Bjorn Borg was next, followed by John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Lendl.

In a matchup of the players who will enter this week’s season-ending Chase Championships ranked No. 1 and No. 2, Martina Hingis defeated Lindsay Davenport, 7-5, 6-7 (9-7), 7-6 (7-4), in the $450,000 Advanta Championships at Villanova, Pa.

Hingis trailed, 5-3, in the first set before winning, was ahead, 5-3, in the second set before losing the tiebreaker, then trailed, 6-5, in the third set before winning the tiebreaker to earn her 12th title of the year.

The 17-year-old Hingis, winner at the Australian and U.S. Opens and Wimbledon, has a record of 74-4 in 1997.

The ATP Tour is planning major changes beginning in 2000--moves that will simplify the ranking system, cut the number of top events and possibly join men’s and women’s tournaments.

Mark Miles, chief executive officer of the men’s tour, also said at Hanover, Germany that the season-ending ATP World Tour Championship would rotate around the world.

The restructuring will reduce the number of top-tier tournaments from nine to seven, and the new calendar taking effect in 2000 will start with the Australian Open, followed by two tournaments in the United States--Indian Wells and Key Biscayne, Fla., with Key Biscayne switching from a hard court to clay.

World Sport

Susan Auch and Catriona LeMay-Doan won the women’s 500 and 1,000 and Jeremy Wotherspoon won the men’s 1,000 as Canada won three of four events in the final day of a World Cup speedskating event at Roseville, Minn.

Auch put together a strong final 100 to catch Franziska Schenk of Germany in the 500 in 39.86 seconds, breaking the track record of 40.65 set in February 1996 by Tomomi Okazaki.

Chris Witty of West Allis, Wis., was the top American finisher in both women’s events, finishing fourth in the 1,000 in 1:22.69 and was seventh in the 500 in 40.86.

The meet was the first international competition for Americans on Dutch-developed skates, which have blades hinged at the toe to allow the entire runner to stay in contact with the ice as the skater glides.

Olympic marketers prefer calling the official beer of 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City a “malt beverage.” That isn’t making the sponsorship more palatable to anti-alcohol activists.

Opponents claim a 2002 brew will portray a partying image that conflicts with Utah’s “family-oriented” standards.

Soccer

UCLA defeated fifth-ranked Portland, 1-0, in the first round of the NCAA women’s soccer tournament at Portland. It was the first playoff victory for the 12th-ranked Bruins (18-2-0).

Sophomore midfielder Beth Thompson, who scored her first career goal, got the game-winner in the 42nd minute. UCLA goalkeeper Lindsay Culp recorded her eighth shutout of the season. In the next round, the Bruins play at SMU this weekend.

The UCLA men’s soccer team won its third consecutive conference championship, defeating Mountain Division champion Stanford, 1-0, at UCLA’s Spaulding Field. It was the 300th career victory for UCLA Coach Sigi Schmid.

Diego Maradona said he may resurrect his soccer career at the age of 37 in Mexico--if doctors say his life is not at risk.

Maradona, a confessed cocaine user, said he would seek expert advice this week. If the outcome is positive, he said he would maybe sign for Club America in Mexico.

Miscellany

Craig Breedlove’s quest to return the land speed record to America is over, but only for the season. He plans another crack at it next year.

Breedlove and his Spirit of America headed home after recent storms ruined conditions on the Black Rock Desert course, 125 miles north of Reno.

Prepo, the 5-2 second choice, rallied from last place to beat longshot Winter Quarters by a neck in the $100,000 Arcangues Handicap at Hollywood Park. Ridden by Alex Solis, Prepo gained his second win in four starts since leaving Chile and joining trainer Ron McAnally’s barn at Santa Anita.

Winter Quarters, sent off at 19-1, finished 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Flick, the 35-1 shot who finished third. Refinado Tom, the 8-5 favorite, finished fifth in the seven-horse field.

A fire in a barn at Laurel Race Course in Maryland caused minor injuries to two track employees, who freed the horses housed in the barn and helped fight the blaze, fire officials said.