Sampras Nets Another Win As Coach Ails

Shortly after his coach was hospitalized Friday, a worried Pete Sampras rushed through to the fourth round at the Australian Open.

Tim Gullikson, who suffered two minor strokes in the past three months, was sitting in the stands and had to be helped from the tournament by his twin brother, Tom, and another man after a dizzy spell. Gullikson, 43, had just warmed up Sampras on court.

A couple of hours later, as Gullikson underwent brain tests, Sampras quickly disposed of Lars Jonsson 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

Sampras replied, “He’s OK,” when asked about his coach just before taking the court. But it appeared Gullikson could not walk unaided when he left the stadium.

Karel Novacek, avenging a loss to Michael Stich in the U.S. Open semifinals, played the match of his life to knock the German out of the third round.

“He played perfect tennis today,” Stich said after falling 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 in 99 minutes.

Reigning women’s Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez of Spain followed on the center court and nearly followed Stich out of the tournament. The No. 2 seed escaped a serve-and-volley attack by Kristie Boogert of the Netherlands to win 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. No. 6 Lindsay Davenport beat Sandrine Testud 6-3, 6-4.

The weather changed completely from Thursday when the crows on the open roof cawed like crazed ducks, the blowflies made a nuisance of themselves and the searing sun turned the courts into green griddles.

Then just as Andre Agassi started to play under pink and charcoal clouds at sunset, the weather bureau issued an urgent alert about a midsummer hailstorm on the way.

Agassi got on and off long before any hail or rain or snow showed up. He dispensed with French qualifier Jerome Golmard 6-2, 6-3, 6-1, in 93 minutes of baseline bashing.