Sampras Plays Up a Storm for 18th Consecutive Win

Pete Sampras outlasted a thunderstorm delay and a 20-point tiebreaker to beat Jan Siemerink of the Netherlands, 7-6 (11-9), 6-4, Tuesday night in a second-round match at the $2.45-million ATP Championship at Mason, Ohio.

Sampras has won 18 consecutive matches, the fourth-longest streak of his career. He has collected three titles in that span, including Wimbledon.

“I’ve been on a pretty good roll,” said Sampras, who had to rally after a sluggish start. “The run’s not going to last forever. But I hope it lasts another 3-4 weeks.”

That would put Sampras through the U.S. Open, which he has made a prime target of this year’s campaign.

Michael Chang improved his career record in this event to 36-9, the best of any active player, with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Russia’s Marat Safin.

Hockey

St. Louis Blues’ enforcer Tony Twist, who recently led a motorcycle ride to raise money for charity, was hospitalized in intensive care after a motorcycle accident in St. Louis.

St. John’s Mercy Medical Center issued a statement Tuesday afternoon saying surgery to stabilize the hockey player’s pelvic injury is scheduled for later this week.

The accident occurred Monday night in Creve Coeur, a suburb of St. Louis. Police said a car pulled out of a parking lot in front of Twist’s motorcycle, and he struck the side of the car.

Twist became an unrestricted free agent in June after the 1998-99 season and has yet to sign with a team.

The Mighty Ducks re-signed defenseman Jason Marshall to a two-year contract, leaving the team with only two restricted free agents still to be signed--defensemen Ruslan Salei and Pavel Trnka. Marshall had one goal and eight points in 72 games last season. . . . The Pittsburgh Penguins reached terms on multiyear contracts with restricted free-agent forwards Alexei Kovalev and Robert Lang. Terms were not disclosed. . . . The Ottawa Senators re-signed restricted free-agent defenseman Janne Laukkanen to a one-year agreement. . . . The Montreal Canadiens agreed to terms with unrestricted free-agent defenseman Barry Richter. . . . The Nashville Predators signed two free agents who played for Vancouver last season, goaltender Corey Hirsch and forward Steve Washburn.

Jurisprudence

Carlton Haselrig, whose once-promising NFL career was cut short by substance abuse, was jailed on charges of creating a ruckus at a credit union and arguing with police at Johnstown, Pa.

Haselrig, 33, who played for the Buffalo Destroyers of the Arena Football League this year, was arrested Monday at a magistrate’s office in Johnstown. He was at the office for a preliminary hearing on the misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges.

He and Delfon Chatman, 24, of Johnstown were accused of ignoring orders to stop arguing with police at the credit union June 16. It was not immediately clear when the men would have their next hearing.

Chris Buckhalter, a former Southern Mississippi football player, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter in a 1997 slaying at Jackson, Miss.

Buckhalter, 26, avoided a possible death penalty with his plea before the start of his capital murder trial.

Buckhalter and three others were accused in the killing of Jason Langley, 22, and the shooting of Leonard McInnis at a Jackson apartment complex. McInnis was shot several times in the chest but recovered.

Miscellany

After a year away from competition, Amy Van Dyken resumed her medal-filled career by winning the 50-meter freestyle on the final day of the National Swimming Championships at Minneapolis. Gary Hall Jr., diagnosed with diabetes in March, won the men’s 50 free.

Florida safety Rod Graddy will be dropped from the football team for driving a car carrying two robbery suspects fleeing a crime scene, a source close to the team said. . . . Senior center William Stringfellow has been declared academically ineligible to play basketball for Houston.

Donovan Bailey of Canada will skip the 100 meters at the world track and field championship this month in Spain to concentrate on the relay. . . . Pole vaulter Sergei Bubka, the only athlete to win six consecutive gold medals at the world championships, will miss the event because of an Achilles’ tendon injury.

First baseman Jeff Keaveney of the Waterbury Spirit was in guarded condition after successful surgery to relieve pressure from a skull fracture suffered during a game at Allentown, Pa.

Randy Harvey is on assignment