Agassi Knocks Sampras Off Top

Andre Agassi kept his impressive run going while keeping Pete Sampras from staying No. 1.

The eighth-seeded Agassi beat the top-seeded Sampras, 6-7 (7-5), 6-1, 6-2, Friday night at Toronto in the quarterfinals of the $2.45-million du Maurier tennis tournament.

Agassi, a three-time champion in the event, has won four tournaments this season, including the last two he has entered, improving his ranking more than 100 spots to No. 11.

His latest win will prevent Sampras from staying on top of the ATP world rankings. Sampras needed to win this event for the first time to maintain his No. 1 ranking. That spot will now be taken by Chile’s Marcelo Rios, who briefly held the No. 1 spot earlier this year when Sampras was struggling.

In today’s semifinals, Agassi will face sixth-seeded Richard Krajicek of the Netherlands, who defeated No. 4 Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, 6-4, 6-4. In the other two quarterfinals Friday, third-seeded Patrick Rafter of Australia defeated Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden, 6-3, 6-2, and No. 7 Tim Henman of England ousted Daniel Vacek of the Czech Republic, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1.

Most players had to play two matches because Thursday’s schedule was rained out.

Agassi advanced with a 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia, who double-faulted on match point.

Sampras, after a three-hour rain delay, appeared sluggish, tired and frustrated in a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 victory over Tommy Haas of Germany.

Hockey

Pat LaFontaine of the New York Rangers will retire next week because of numerous concussions, according to the New York Post. The paper said LaFontaine made the decision after neurological specialist Jim Kelly told him that continuing his career would put him “beyond minimal risk.”

Concussions forced LaFontaine, 33, to sit out much of the 1996-97 season with Buffalo and the final two months of last season. He has scored 468 goals and has 545 assists in 865 games.

The Mighty Ducks signed left wing Jim McKenzie to a two-year contract. McKenzie was acquired from Phoenix for J.F. Jomphe on June 18. . . . Calgary Flame center Marty McInnis was awarded a two-year, $2.4-million contract after an arbitration hearing at Toronto. . . . The Buffalo Sabres avoided arbitration with center Brian Holzinger by re-signing him to multiyear contract. . . . The Washington Capitals reacquired goaltender Rick Tabaracci from Calgary for a draft pick and future considerations.

Auto Racing

Coming off two consecutive Winston Cup victories, Jeff Gordon took the pole for Sunday’s Bud at the Glen at Watkins Glen, N.Y., qualifying at 120.331 mph over the 2.45-mile, 11-turn road course . . . Bryan Herta ran a track-record 122.977 mph in his Reynard-Ford as he won the provisional pole for Sunday’s Mid-Ohio CART champ car race at Lexington, Ohio.

Miscellany

At a news conference in Dublin, Ireland, banned Olympic swimming champion Michelle Smith insisted she is not guilty of tampering with a drug test and accused swimming authorities of conspiring to end her career. FINA, swimming’s governing body, suspended the 1996 triple gold medalist for four years Thursday after determining she had spiked her January urine sample with whiskey. Smith hopes to clear her name at an appeals hearing and plans to sue the federation.

Arbitrator John Feerick met with lawyers from the NBA and the union at New York and set Aug. 24-25 as the dates for a hearing on whether players with guaranteed contracts should be paid during the lockout.

USC freshman running back Sultan McCullough, from Pasadena Muir High, has been cleared to report to the Trojans’ training camp this weekend after being certified by the NCAA eligibility clearinghouse. . . . Two of Arizona’s football recruits, Gary Love of L.A. Jefferson High and Young Thompson of Samoa, are academically ineligible.

After guiding Colorado State to 20-9 records the last two seasons, Stew Morrill was hired to replace Larry Eustachy as men’s basketball coach at Utah State.