Loss in London Wakes Sampras

Only 10 days before the start of Wimbledon, Mark Woodforde detects a lack of motivation in Pete Sampras’ game.

But Sampras, defeated by the Australian, 6-3, 6-2, in a third-round match Friday on grass at the Queen’s Club at London, begs to differ.

“This tournament has always been a bit of a wake-up call for me,” Sampras said.

“When Wimbledon comes around and I’m on center court, I think guys know I play well there. I feel I’m going to be tough to beat.”

The defeat was the latest surprising loss for the four-time and defending Wimbledon champion. He has struggled most of the year and was ousted in the second round of the French Open by little-known Ramon Delgado of Paraguay.

“Everyone is aware that, motivation-wise, [Sampras] is not there,” Woodforde said.

Meanwhile, No. 2-seeded Greg Rusedski of Britain injured an ankle during his third-round match against Laurence Tieleman of Italy.

A doctor and a trainer agreed that U.S. Open runner-up Rusedski, ranked fourth in the world, was not likely to be ready for Wimbledon.

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Russia’s Yevgeny Kafelnikov, the defending champion, was the only seeded player left at the Gerry Weber Open at Halle, Germany, after defeating Sweden’s Magnus Norman, 7-6 (7-1), 6-2.

Third-seeded Richard Krajicek of the Netherlands struggled with his returns and lost to Sweden’s Magnus Larsson, 6-4, 6-2.

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Steffi Graf, improving with each match in her latest comeback, moved into the semifinals of the DFS Classic at Birmingham, England, with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Maria Luisa Serna of Spain.

The seven-time Wimbledon champion took 68 minutes to dispose of Serna and set up a semifinal match with defending champion Nathalie Tauziat of France.

Motor Sports

Dale Earnhardt has locked up one of the hottest drivers in stock car racing: his son.

Dale Earnhardt Inc. said at Mooresville, N.C., that it has reached an agreement calling for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to drive for the company for five years with an option for an additional five.

Bobby Gerhart turned a lap of 180.768 mph to earn his first career pole position during qualifying for today’s Michigan ARCA 200 at Brooklyn, Mich. The qualifying session at Michigan Speedway was rescheduled to Friday after being rained out Thursday. . . . Also at the Michigan Speedway, Ward Burton won the pole position for the Miller Lite 400. Burton’s Pontiac got around the two-mile oval at 181.561 mph, relegating the Ford of Dale Jarrett to the outside of the front row at 181.210.

Pro Football

Defensive end Alonzo Spellman was released by the Chicago Bears after a disappointing season and erratic off-field behavior that put him in a psychiatric ward.

Ted Phillips, the Bears’ vice president of operations, said Spellman’s release now would give the player time to sign with another team before preseason training camps open.

Spellman could not be reached for comment on his release.

Vonnie Holliday signed with the Green Bay Packers, the first of the first-round choices in this year’s NFL draft to come to terms.

The Packers expect Holliday, who played tackle at North Carolina, to make immediate contributions, possibly even start, on a defensive line weakened by the loss of free agent defensive end Gabe Wilkins and an expected reduced role for Reggie White.

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed eight-year veteran defensive back Bo Orlando, a move that gives them more depth in their depleted secondary.

Orlando likely will be a backup to free safety Darren Perry and also could fill in at strong safety, where Lethon Flowers is expected to start if Carnell Lake moves to cornerback.

The Steelers’ secondary has been unsettled since cornerback Chad Scott was lost for the season last month with a knee injury and former starting cornerback Donnell Woolford was released June 1.

Names in the News

Mitch Chortkoff, who has covered the Lakers for the last 14 years for Copley Newspapers, has been hired as sports editor of the Santa Monica Sun, a weekly newspaper. . . . Former Louisiana State basketball coach Dale Brown was recovering at Baton Rouge, La., from surgery after his appendix ruptured, causing a severe infection. . . . Dominating from the opening bell, Corrie Sanders stopped former light-heavyweight champion Bobby Czyz in the second round at Montville, Conn., to retain his World Boxing Union heavyweight title. . . . Ja’Warren Hooker of Washington and Amy Skieresz of Arizona were named the Pacific 10 track and field athletes of the year. . . . American Lance Armstrong maintained his narrow lead after the second stage of cycling’s Tour of Luxembourg. . . . Teenager Arlene Stevens defeated 49-year-old Margo Miller of Los Angeles, 15-9, in the women’s epee finals of the U.S. National Fencing championships at New York.