|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |
Backing out Injured Sampras withdraws from Paris Open
Posted: Wednesday November 03, 1999 10:22 AM
PARIS (AP) -- Pete Sampras suffered a new injury blow on Wednesday, pulling out of the Paris Open after sustaining a back injury, and said he requires at least 10 days rest. Sampras hobbled off court Tuesday night after beating Spain's Francisco Clavet 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). "In the middle of the second set I felt my left side get tighter and tighter," Sampras told a news conference Wednesday. "After the match I had a complete spasm." But he said he still hopes to play in the ATP World Championships. On Tuesday night, ATP spokesman Nicola Arzani had hinted Sampras would have to bow out, saying: "Pete can hardly walk." After two months out of action, Sampras showed plenty of rustiness in his comeback match. Fortunately for the former world No. 1, there was plenty of his familiar resilience on show too. Sampras had to save three match points while serving at 5-6 in the final set. He was clearly frustrated at his inaccurate volleying and wayward smashing in his first match since Aug. 20, when he damaged his right hip flexor in a match in Indianapolis. Nine days later, Sampras suffered a herniated disk while practicing for the U.S. Open and hasn't played since. He clinched a win in an eerie atmosphere at 1:15 a.m. local time in front of only a few hundred hardy fans. Clavet, ranked 32 but uncomfortable on carpet, seemed to be an ideal comeback opponent, but Sampras was clearly far from his best. Russian teenager Marat Safin continued his mastery over fifth-seeded Gustavo Kuerten with a 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 7-6 (7-4) win over the Brazilian. The 19-year-old Safin has now beaten Kuerten three straight times, including at the 1998 French Open when Kuerten was the defending champion. Coming from a set down, Sweden's Thomas Enqvist defeated Sebastien Grosjean 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) in a first-round match. Enqvist will next play fourth-seeded American Todd Martin in one of the highlights of the second round at the $2.55 million event. Cedric Pioline snapped a four-match losing streak by stopping Andrei Medvedev 6-1, 6-4. It was Pioline's first ATP Tour victory since he reached the U.S. Open semifinals in September. Nicolas Lapentti, the No. 11 seed, also reached the third round with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) win over France's Fabrice Santoro.
In other first-round matches, Dutchman Sjeng Schalken stopped
Arnaud Clement of France 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 7-6 (7-2) and Spain's Juan
Carlos Ferrero, a "lucky loser" who entered into the draw Tuesday
morning as a replacement for the injured Magnus Larsson, defeated
South Africa's Wayne Ferreira 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
