Sampras Outbattles Becker

Mon., Nov. 25, 1996

Compiled From Wire Services

Overcoming a roaring, wave-happy crowd and bullet serves from his opponent, Pete Sampras beat Boris Becker in five sets to win the ATP Tour World Championship at Hanover, Germany.

Becker pelted 32 aces in the four-hour match but was unable to retain his title in this season-ending event, losing 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (11-13), 6-4.

The exhausted rivals hugged at the net at the finish.

Sampras avenged two straight losses to Becker in Germany, the last three days ago in a round-robin match of this $3.3 million tournament, which featured the world’s top eight players.

Icing her left knee on every changeover during the final hour, Steffi Graf outlasted a limping Martina Hingis in five sets to win the $2 million Chase Championships.

Graf beat the 16-year-old Swiss star 6-3, 4-6, 6-0, 4-6, 6-0 in 2 hours, 49 minutes to capture the season-ending tournament. It was the second straight year and fifth time in her career she has won this event.

The victory was worth $500,000 for Graf. Hingis, the youngest player, male or female, to earn $1 million in a year, earned $250,000.

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Sampras Outbattles Becker

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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