Sampras Withdraws After Injury

Instead of Pete Sampras facing Michael Chang today in the final of the Sybase Open at San Jose, it’ll be qualifier Cecil Mamiit against third-seeded Mark Philippoussis.

Sampras, the tournament’s top-seeded player, withdrew Saturday because of a strained tendon above his left ankle suffered in a quarterfinal match against Bernard Karbacher on Friday. The fourth-seeded Chang went out the more traditional way, losing to Mamiit, a former NCAA champion at USC, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the other semifinal.

Sampras strained the tendon above his left ankle during break point of the sixth game in the second set against Karbacher.

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Germany’s David Prinosil upset top-seeded Jan Siemerink of the Netherlands, 6-4, 6-2, in the semifinals of the St. Petersburg Open in Russia. He’ll play second-seeded Marc Rosset of France in the final. Rosset advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over fourth-seeded Marat Safin of Russia. . . . Jerome Golmard of France defeated second-seeded Carlos Moya of Spain, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, in the Dubai Open in the United Arab Emirates to reach his first ATP Tour final. Play in the other semifinal between Andrew Ilie and Nicolas Kiefer was suspended because of rain. Kiefer has a 6-3 lead. . . . The No. 13 USC women’s team upset No. 8 UCLA, 6-3.

Pro Football

Quarterback Rich Gannon, a backup for most of his four seasons with Kansas City, has signed with the Oakland Raiders, according to the San Francisco Examiner. . . . Lawrence Phillips, whose troubles with the law have plagued his football career since college, was sentenced to six months probation at a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., court Friday stemming from a nightclub confrontation with a woman in June. He must also pay more than $1,500 in fines and court costs. . . . Offensive lineman Wally Williams, who was designated the Baltimore Ravens’ franchise player, signed a five-year, $18.5-million contract with the New Orleans Saints.

Miscellany

Bruce Fleisher, who last week became only the fifth player to win his Senior PGA Tour debut, has a three-stroke lead entering the final round of the American Express Invitational at Sarasota, Fla. Fleisher shot his second consecutive five-under 67 to give him a 10-under 134 total, three strokes ahead of Tom Wargo and four ahead of Jim Thorpe.

Gabriela Szabo of Romania shattered the women’s 5,000-meter world indoor record by 15.81 seconds, clocking 14 minutes, 47.36 seconds at an international track and field meet at Dortmund, Germany. Szabo broke the mark of 15:03.17 set by Liz McColgan of Britain in 1992.

England’s Richie Woodhall overcame a fifth-round knockdown to hold on to his World Boxing Council super-middleweight title, stopping Italy’s Vincenzo Nardiello in the sixth round at Newcastle, England. Nardiello fell to 33-7 and Woodhall improved to 25-1.

Australia’s Zali Steggall won the women’s slalom in the World Alpine Ski Championships at Vail, Colo. Steggall, only .13 seconds off the pace after a tightly bunched first run, nailed the bottom half of her second run and had a combined time of 1 minute 33.97 seconds, .80 seconds ahead of Sweden’s Pernilla Wiberg.

Jose Vasquez scored twice in the final nine minutes as the Los Angeles Galaxy defeated the Tri-County All-Stars, 2-0, in an exhibition soccer match at Thousand Oaks.