Sampras Gains Semis

Top-ranked Pete Sampras reached the semifinals and gained his 500th career singles victory, beating Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-4, 6-4, at the ATP Tour World Championship in Hanover, Germany.

Boris Becker, the defending champion, celebrated his 29th birthday, but the occasion turned a bit sour when Becker lost 6-3, 7-6 (7-1) to Thomas Enqvist. Becker already was assured of a place in the semifinals.

The $3.3 million event brings together the top eight players in the world, with the two top finishers from each four-man group advancing to the semis.

In today’s semifinals, Sampras will face Goran Ivanisevic, ranked No. 4 in the world.

Sixteen-year-old Martina Hingis sent an error-plagued Kimiko Date into her previously announced retirement 6-1, 6-2 and grabbed the final semifinal berth in the $2 million Chase Championships in New York.

Earlier, fifth-seeded Jana Novotna, playing nearly perfect tennis, defeated No. 3 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 6-0, 6-3.

In today’s semifinals, Novotna will face top-seeded Steffi Graf, while Hingis will play Croatia’s Iva Majoli in a battle of teenagers.