Sampras, Seles shocked

KEY BISCAYNE, March 24: World No 1 Pete Sampras was ousted by South Africa's Wayne Ferreira 0-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 here at the $ 4.6 million Li...

KEY BISCAYNE, March 24: World No 1 Pete Sampras was ousted by South Africa’s Wayne Ferreira 0-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 here at the $ 4.6 million Lipton Championship tennis tournament.

Former top-ten player Ferreira saved two match points in the second-set tie-breaker before toppling Sampras in the third round of the ATP and WTA event yesterday.

Now the US star could be dethroned from his 102-week perch atop the men’s tennis world by number two-ranked Czech player Petr Korda, third-ranked Marcelo Rios or Britain’s Greg Rusedski.

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In women’s play, world No 5 Monica Seles was ousted and American Serena Williams, the bead-tressed sister of teen star Venus Williams, has a quarter-final date with world No 1 Martina Hingis.

Results (3rd round): Anna Kournikova (Rus) bt Monica Seles 7-5 6-4; Serena Williams (US) bt Patty Schnyder (Swi) 6-0 4-6 6-3; Martina Hingis (Swi) bt Sandrine Testud (Fra) 6-3 5-7 6-2; Venus Williams bt Rita Grande (Ita) 6-1 6-4; Jana Novotna (Czech Rep) bt Anke Huber (Ger) 6-2 6-2 ;Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Spa) bt Maria Venton (Ven) 6-2 6-1.