Sampras Outlasts Field

Pete Sampras battled through 71 games, three tie-breaks and two opponents in one day as he tuned up for defense of his Wimbledon title by winning the $625,000 Queens Club grass-court tournament in London.

After saving three match points and turning around a 5-2 deficit in his semifinal against German Marc Goellner, the top-seeded American fired 21 aces in a 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (8-6) triumph over Guy Forget in the final.

Then he went off to play doubles.

“It was a very busy day,” said Sampras, who teamed up with Todd Martin for a 6-3, 3-6, 12-10 victory over top-seeded doubles pair Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge of Australia.

Zina Garrison-Jackson finally defeated Lori McNeil on in the third straight battle of the Texans of the DFS Classic women’s grass-court title in Birmingham, England.

McNeil won when the two 31-year-old Houstonians met in the previous two finals. But 1990 champion Garrison-Jackson gained her revenge at the $161,250 event with a 6-3, 6-3 victory.