Sampras heads field

WHITE PLAINS, July 22: Top-ranked, defending champion Pete Sampras heads the list of men's entries for next month's US Open that includes 9...

WHITE PLAINS, July 22: Top-ranked, defending champion Pete Sampras heads the list of men’s entries for next month’s US Open that includes 97 of the top 100 ranked players, officials said today.

Sampras, the US Open winner in 1990, 1993, 1995 and 1996, will be seeking his fifth US singles title, which would match Jimmy Connors’ mark for the most in the Open era.

Victory for Sampras would also bring him within one Grand Slam triumph of Roy Emerson’s record total of 12.

Story continues below this ad

class="ad-slot">

Other former US Open champions among the 104 direct entries are 1994 winner Andre Agassi and 1989 champion Boris Becker.

Agassi, who has been battling injury and also took time off to marry actress Brooke Shields, will be playing in his first Grand Slam tournament since losing in the semi-finals of the Open a year ago to Michael Chang.

Becker’s US Open entry may mark the final Grand Slam event for the 29-year-old German, who announced that he had played his final match at Wimbledon after losing to Sampras in the quarterfinals.

This year’s tournament, which will mark the opening of th new USTA National Tennis Centre and Arthur Ashe Stadium, will also feature the US Open debut of French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil.

Story continues below this ad

The only men from the top 100 not entered are Michael Stich (ranked 46 at the entry deadline), who has announced he will be retiring, the now-retired former Open champion Stefan Edberg (59), and number 100 Andrei Chesnokov, who is recuperating from a broken leg.

Rafter, Enqvist advance

LOS ANGELES: Fifth-seed Patrick Rafter of Australia outlasted Frenchman Lionel Roux 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (3-7), 6-3 in the first round at the $303,000 Infiniti Open yesterday.

In the night match, second seeded Thomas Enqvist of Sweden rolled past American Steve Byran 6-3, 6-2 in 73 minutes.

In other first-round matches, American Vincent Spadea used six service breaks to beat Frenchman Stephane Simian 6-4, 6-2 for the second time in as many weeks. Guillaume Raoux, Simian’s compatriot, swept past Argentine Gaston Etlis 6-3, 6-4.