MASON (OHIO), Aug 11: Top-ranked Pete Sampras beat Thomas Muster of Austria 6-3, 6-4 to win his fifth title this year, the $ 2.3 million ATP Championship.

It was the 49th career ATP Tour victory for Sampras and tied him with Boris Becker for most titles among active players.

Sampras' first serve yesterday was a 210 kph ace, his fastest of the week. He broke Muster twice in the first set, bedeviling him with precise placement of cross-court volleys, and won the set point with a 196 kph ace.

Muster battled throughout the second set but could not match Sampras shot for shot. ``He has a good serve, good ground strokes. If he has a weakness, it's his backhand,'' Muster said.

Sampras was broken just once, in the first set and became the first ATP Championship winner in 10 years to go through the week without losing a set.

The match took one hour 10 minutes -- just what Sampras averaged all week.

In the all-Australian doubles final, top-seeded Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde won their third title here, beating seventh seeded Mark Philippoussis and Patrick Rafter 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 6-1.

Seles bags Acura title

MANHATTAN BEACH: Monica Seles fought off a match point in the second set and capitalised on Lindsay Davenport's third-set collapse to win the Acura Classic 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 yesterday for her first title this year.

Seles, ranked third in the world, improved to 17-1 lifetime in Manhattan Beach, where she was champion in 1990 and 91 the years she was No 1 in the world. Seles had lost in four other WTA Tour finals this year, and was winless on Tour since a victory in Toyko last September. ``I got close a couple of times this year and finally pulled it off in a close match. It feels great,'' she said.

Davenport had the match in hand, leading a set and 5-4 in the second. Her crosscourt backhand winner set up match point, but Seles attacked Davenport's second serve, sending a forehand return crosscourt for deuce.

``I was trying to go for it on match point and next three points,'' said Davenport, who sent top-ranked Martina Hingis to only her second loss of the year on Saturday with a three-set semifinal win. ``She attacks the ball a lot more than Martina,'' she commented.

Seles earned $ 79,000 and a new Acura. Davenport got $36,000.

Mantilla mauls Magnus

SAN MARINO: Spain's Felix Mantilla defeated Magnus Gustafsson of Sweden 6-4, 6-1 in today's finals of the San Marino International tournament.Top-seeded Mantilla, who is ranked 12th in the world, captured his fourth tournament title of the year and earned $39,000.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.