Tennis: Ivanisevic has too many aces for Sampras

PETE SAMPRAS, the Wimbledon champion and world No 1, was beaten in 79 minutes by Goran Ivanisevic in their quarter-final meeting at the Paris Open yesterday.

The ninth-seeded Croatian served 13 aces and bustled Sampras out of his stride to win 7-6, 7-5. Ivanisevic now plays Stefan Edberg for a place in tomorrow's final.

Sampras tried desperately to stem the tide when he trailed 5-2 in the second set and fought back to save a first match point in the ninth game. Ivanisevic then dropped serve to allow the American back into contention but Sampras again failed to hold his serve in the 12th game.

The only surviving Frenchman, Arnaud Boetsch, knocked out the holder, Boris Becker, in three sets in their quarter-final. The unseeded Boetsch won 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 over the German, seeded third and three times a winner of the event. Boetsch now faces a semi-final match against Andrei Medvedev, of Ukraine, who beat Australia's Mark Woodforde.

Edberg, the former world No 1 now at No 6, beat Michael Stich. Edberg, the sixth seed, won 6-2, 7-5, 6-2.