The Week In Tennis at a Glance

STARS

Davis Cup

- Fernando Meligeni beat Karol Kucera 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-2, 6-4 as Brazil beat Slovakia 3-2 for a spot in the World Group semifinals. - Pete Sampras beat Slava Dosedel 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (2) to give the United States a 3-2 World Group victory over the Czech Republic. - Tsai Chia-yen stopped Asim Shafik 6-0, 6-3, 6-3 to give Taiwan a 3-2 victory over Pakistan. - Luis Adrian Morejon beat Americo Venero 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the fifth match to boost Ecuador over Peru 3-2. - Dinu Pescariu's 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-4 win over Gergely Kisgyoergy gave Hungary a 3-2 victory over Romania.

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SPEAKING

"Today they toss bottles on us. Tomorrow they can shoot us." - Argentina's Hernan Gumy, after being hit by debris thrown by fans at the Argentina-Chile Davis Cup tie in Santiago, Chile. "You feel like you're playing for a higher cause. It's quite a feeling." - Andre Agassi, about playing Davis Cup. "You cannot be serious." - Pete Sampras, responding to John McEnroe. "This is a special kind of player, Andre Agassi. He's really killing the balls very fast from the baseline." - Jiri Novak, after losing to Agassi. "These have been two tough ties. The scary thing is it's going to be tougher, if anything." - John McEnroe, looking ahead to meeting Spain in the Davis Cup semifinals. "I played a great match. I think I was a little bit better than him, but he got the last point." - David Prinosil, after losing to Wayne Arthurs in the Germany-Australia Davis Cup quarterfinals. "I tried everything, but it didn't work." - Michael Kohlmann, after losing to Lleyton Hewitt in the opening match of the Germany-Australia Davis Cup quarterfinals. "I never said I was engaged or was planning to get married because I have no such plans." - Anna Kournikova, after reports that her pending wedding to ice hockey star and Russian compatriot Pavel Bure was off.

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SCRUTINISING

International tennis officials are considering possible sanctions following the crowd problems that led to Argentina refusing to complete its Davis Cup tie in Santiago, Chile, citing the danger. Chile was awarded a 5-0 victory. Argentina withdrew after angry spectators threw objects onto the court while Argentina's Mariano Zabaleta was leading Nicolas Massu two sets to one. Zabaleta's father sustained a head injury that required 10 stitches. Officials wanted to play the tie in private, without spectators, but Argentina refused, saying the safety of its team was not guaranteed. The range of possible sanctions includes fines, disqualification or demotion, and withdrawal of home advantage for future matches.

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SHODDY PLAY?

Yevgeny Kafelnikov is under fire after losing both singles matches in Russia's Davis Cup World Group loss to Spain. ITAR-Tass news agency called the team's 4-1 defeat "a complete fiasco," while Soivietsky Sport headlined "Kafelnikov was a complete failure."

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SUBPOENAED

Before playing Davis Cup, Marcelo Rios was in court in Coquimbo in northern Chile where his former fitness trainer claimed damages and loss of earnings following a car accident last year. Manuel Astorga said he injured his leg in the accident, then was fired by Rios, who was driving the car.

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SAYING NO

When a Russian newspaper reported that the marriage between two of Russia's biggest sports celebrities, tennis star Anna Kournikova and ice hockey ace Pavel Bure, Kournikova denied the two were ever engaged. Bure had reportedly proposed to Kournikova at a restaurant in Florida, where the two live.

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SITES TO SURF

www.blchamps.com/index-frames.html www.atlanta-tennis.com/ www.estoril-open.com/ www.familycirclecup.com/ www.jta-tennis.or.jp

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Tournaments This Week

ATP TOUR

$600,000 Estoril Open, clay, Estoril, Portugal $350,000 Galleryfurniture.com Tennis Challenge, clay, Atlanta $325,000 Grand Prix Hassan II, clay, Casablanca, Morocco

WTA TOUR

$535,000 Bausch and Lomb Championships, clay, Amelia Island, Florida $140,000 Estoril Open, clay, Estoril, Portugal

Tournaments Week of April 17

ATP TOUR

$2,950,000 Tennis Masters Series-Monte Carlo, clay, Monte Carlo, Monaco

WTA TOUR

$1,080,000 Family Circle Cup, clay, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina $110,000 Westel 900 Budapest Open, clay, Budapest, Hungary