Sampras, Rafter Upset

Sat., Aug. 5, 2000

There isn’t going to be a rematch of this year’s Wimbledon final between Pete Sampras and Patrick Rafter at the $2.95 million Tennis Masters Series-Canada in Toronto.

Eighth-seeded Marat Safin of Russia outlasted Sampras 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8). The loss came after an ailing Rafter fell apart after winning the first set in a 3-6, 7-6 (1), 6-2 quarterfinal loss to Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic.

Safin faces world No. 31 Wayne Ferreira of South Africa in one semifinal today. Qualifier Harel Levy of Israel will face No. 55 Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic in the other.

Anna Kournikova used late service breaks in each of the last two sets for a 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory over France’s Nathalie Tauziat in the quarterfinals of the $535,000 Acura Classic in Carlsbad, Calif.

Early on, Kournikova, who is unseeded, looked nothing like the player who ousted No. 2-ranked Lindsay Davenport earlier in the week in three sets. But she rebounded to match Tauziat, the sixth seed, stroke for stroke in the last two sets.

Kournikova, 19, advanced to today’s semifinals, where she’ll play fourth-seeded Monica Seles, who defeated Sandrine Testud of France, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5).

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Sampras, Rafter Upset

Jesse Tinsley

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