Sampras stems the rot with a fresh start

Sampras stems the rot with a fresh start
Agence France-Presse

Indian wells, March 13: Australian Open champion Andre Agassi dispatched Hicham Arazi 6-3, 6-2 yesterday at the Masters Tennis Series, avenging a first-round defeat by the Moroccan here last year. But Agassi, the fourth seed, was reluctant to read too much into a comparison between his quick victory and last season’s shocker.

Agassi was just happy to stay in with a chance at capturing this title for the first time, after runner-up finishes in 1990 and 1995.

Third-seeded American Pete Sampras, who won back-to-back titles here in 1994-95 but hasn’t made it past the quarter-finals since, is also keen to reverse his image as a player who dries up in the desert. Sampras rode a three-match losing streak into the event but stopped the rot with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over German David Prinosil.

Sampras said the early exit in Scottsdale at least let him get to Indian Wells early and start preparing.

Sampras and Agassi were the top seeds in action as the men’s tournament got underway. Defending champion Alex Corretja, the eighth seed, also advanced, rallying to defeat unseeded Argentinian Gaston Gaudio 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/4).Australian Open runner-up Arnaud Clement of France needed just 49 minutes to get past Andrew Ilie 6-0, 6-2, the erratic Australian looking nothing like the player who upset Sampras last week.

While the men were finding their feet, world No 1 and top seed Martina Hingis led the way into the women’s quarter-finals with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) victory over 16th-seeded Austrian Barbara Schett. She will face Italy’s Silvia Farina Elia, wh upset 11th-seeded German Anke Huber 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Second seed and defending champion Lindsay Davenport downed fellow American Lisa Raymond 6-4, 6-2 to advance to a meeting with Serena Williams.