Sampras Still Searching After Losing Early Again

Pete Sampras’ latest bid to end a two-year drought without a tournament title ended Thursday in a 7-6 (3), 3-6, 7-6 (5) third-round loss to Tommy Haas at the Toronto Masters Series.

No. 3-seeded Haas of Germany fired 24 aces in ousting Sampras, the No. 13-seeded and a former world No. 1 who hasn’t won in 30 tournaments since becoming Wimbledon champion in 2000.

“It’s been a frustrating year, but I still feel like I’ve got the game,” Sampras said. “Hopefully, one week it’s going to click.

“It’s something I’ve never had to do before. I could walk away tomorrow and feel like I’ve done everything I’ve wanted, but I still feel like there’s one last moment for me, maybe a couple of moments.”

Haas also believes Sampras still has good tennis left in him.

“He’s probably not at his best, but I think he played really good tennis and I think he’s on his way back to be very dangerous,” Haas said.

Meanwhile, David Nalbandian of Argentina upset No. 4-seeded Tim Henman of Britain, 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5.

In other matches, No. 2-seeded Marat Safin of Russia edged Marcelo Rios of Chile, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3); Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic ousted unseeded American Taylor Dent, 7-5, 6-3; Fabrice Santoro of France defeated Todd Martin, 6-2, 6-4; and Guillermo Canas of Argentina topped No. 5-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov, 6-2, 6-2, and No. 12 Andy Roddick beat Stefan Koubek of Austria, 6-3, 6-3.

College Football

The University of Miami, looking to become college football’s first repeat national champion in eight years, was voted No. 1 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll.

USC was ranked 19th.

The Associated Press media preseason poll will be released Aug. 10.

The Hurricanes, who completed a 12-0 season with a 37-14 victory over Nebraska in the Rose Bowl, easily outdistanced No. 2 Texas and No. 3 Oklahoma in voting by 61 head coaches.

Rounding out the top 10: Florida State, Tennessee, Colorado, Florida, Nebraska, Washington and Michigan.

Hockey

The Kings agreed to one-year contracts with goaltender Jamie Storr, left wing Mikko Eloranta and center Steve Kelly.

Terms were not disclosed.

Storr, 26, had a 9-4-3 record in 19 games last season. Eloranta, 29, had nine goals and nine assists in 71 games for the Kings after being traded from the Boston Bruins in October. Kelly, 25, had one assist in eight games.

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After a solid rookie season, Mighty Duck center Andy McDonald was rewarded with a two-year contract. McDonald, 24, had seven goals and 28 points in 53 games last season and led all NHL rookies in faceoff winning percentage at 53.7%.

McDonald’s 21 assists tied the team record for rookies, also held by Paul Kariya and Matt Cullen.

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The Montreal Canadiens signed Coach Michel Therrien to a two-year contract.... The Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings re-signed Igor Larionov, at 41 the oldest player in the NHL, to a one-year contract.... Atlanta left wing Vyacheslav Kozlov, 30, signed a one-year, $2.4-million deal to remain with the Thrashers.

Miscellany

Ian Thorpe captured his fourth gold medal as Australia won the men’s 4x200-meter freestyle relay in 7 minutes 11.69 seconds at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England.

Thorpe, seeking a record seven gold medals, has won the 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle, and 400 freestyle relay.

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Kim Collins, the surprise 100-meter winner from St. Kitts, became the first Commonwealth Games gold medalist to test positive for drugs. Games officials, however, announced that Collins wouldn’t face punishment because the substance, used in asthma medication to make breathing easier, wasn’t performance-enhancing.

Passing

Billy Ray Hobley, a Harlem Globetrotter for 22 years, died of an apparent heart attack Wednesday while playing tennis in New Orleans. He was 48.