Safin Gets a Lesson From Sampras at Masters Cup

Pete Sampras showed why he was the world’s No. 1 player for six consecutive years, playing excellent tennis Friday in defeating Marat Safin, 6-3, 6-2, to reach the semifinals of the Masters Cup at Lisbon, the season-ending tournament featuring the world’s top eight players.

Safin defeated Sampras the last two times they played, and took a straight-sets victory in the U.S. Open final that put the 20-year-old Russian in front in the race for No. 1.

“You always remember your losses much more than your wins,” Sampras said. “I’m a competitor. I wanted to get back at him. It’s a big match. Either I win or go home.”

The loss prevented Safin from clinching the No. 1 ranking for the year, but he can still do that by beating Andre Agassi today in the semifinals.

Agassi beat Magnus Norman of Sweden, 6-3, 6-2, and won the Green Group title with a 3-0 record. Norman finished 0-3.

Sampras will play the winner of a match between Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil and Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia. Kuerten is Safin’s only challenger for the No. 1 spot. To finish with the top ranking, he must win the tournament and Safin must be eliminated today.

Golf

Americans Meg Mallon and Juli Inkster carded a one-over-par 73 to tie for ninth place, six strokes behind Sweden’s Sorenstam sisters, in the first round of the inaugural Women’s World Cup of Golf at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Mallon said she didn’t like the foursomes format.

“Neither of us were comfortable with it, and it showed a little today,” she said.

“We hit 13 greens and had a lot of birdie opportunities and didn’t make them.”’

Annika and Charlotta Sorenstam had six birdies and a bogey on the front nine en route to their 67, which left them one shot ahead of Australians Karrie Webb and Rachel Hetherington.

Ernie Els eagled the 14th hole and shot a five-under 67 to take the lead halfway through the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City, South Africa.

Els was at 133 after two rounds in a tournament that offers a $2-million first prize. Lee Westwood of England was one stroke back after a 69.

Miscellany

Isolde Kostner of Italy redeemed herself by winning the second women’s World Cup downhill of the skiing season at Lake Louise, Canada, in 1 minute 33.76 seconds.

Kostner had been upset by Petra Haltmayer of Germany in Thursday’s season-opening downhill, finishing second. Carole Montillet of France was second Friday in 1:34.24, and Corinne Rey Dellet of Switzerland third in 1:34.40.

Apolo Anton Ohno of the United States won the 1,500-meter race at the short-track speedskating World Cup event at Nobeyama, Japan.

Dimitri Kirilenko scored two goals, including the game-winner, as the Long Beach Ice Dogs (12-4-5) defeated division rival Bakersfield Condors 4-2 in a West Coast Hockey League (WCHL) game before a crowd of 2,626 at Long Beach Arena.

Maggie Bowen of Auburn won the women’s 400 intermediate in 4:38.82 and Robert Margalis won men’s 400 intermediate in 4:15.70 on the second day U.S. Open swim meet at Auburn, Ala.