Sampras braves back trouble to make semis

The American had been expected to withdraw from the tournament or lose after his clumsy third round triumph over little known Frenchman Jerome Golmar on Thursday.

In that match, Sampras needed massage three times for back problems and he again received treatment before his quarter-final against big serving US Open finalist Philippoussis.

The 6-3, 6-3 result seemed to show that Sampras was no longer suffering unduly. It was certainly a timely recovery on a day when his two rivals for top spot found trouble.

World number two Marcelo Rios was humbled 6-3, 6-2 by in-form Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov. The defeat cost the Chilean crucial points in his challenge to Sampras.

Ironically, Rios became the only player with a realisticchance of stopping Sampras from achieving his goal after world number three Patrick Rafter of Australia announced he was putting an end to his season because of a knee injury.

Mathematically, American Andre Agassi could also have finished the year in top spot if he had won here and in the season-ending ATP Tour World Championship in Hanover, Germany.

But the former world number one fell to in-form compatriot Todd Martin 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. Unseeded Martin will meet Sampras in semi-finals, hoping to cap a fine week after beating Rafter in the third round.

Rios will be in action at home in Santiago next week while Sampras, who cannot now be toppled from top spot before Hanover, said he would play in Stockholm.

The Chilean was never in contention against Kafelnikov. The Russian, runner-up in Stuttgart, Germany, last week, was in control throughout as Rios made many unforced errors.

As moody as ever, Rios threw his racket to the ground, kicked the ball a couple of times and was jeered throughout by theParisian crowd.His main achievement was saving a match point before Kafelnikov finished him with an ace.

Kafelnikov will meet another form player in Briton Greg Rusedski in the semifinals. Rusedski dismissed Swede Magnus Gustafsson 6-3, 6-2.

Graf makes last four

LEIPZIG: Steffi Graf recovered from a slow start to beat French qualifier Anne-Gaelle Sidot 7-5, 6-3 to reach the Leipzig Open semi-finals last evening.

Germany’s Graf, back in action after being sidelined for two months following surgery on her right wrist, was made to work by Sidot.Sidot, who had upset top seed Arantxa Sanchez Vicario of Spain in the previous round, broke the former world number one in the opening game.

She was leading 5-4 and serving for the set when she allowed the German to fight her way back into the match by hitting a backhand long on break point.Another unforced error by Sidot handed Graf the first set.

The seven-time Wimbledon champion, who has slumped to a modest 22nd in the world, managed the tellingbreak in the eighth game of the second set. She then served for the match, sealing victory after 79 minutes when Sidot hit a backhand return long on match point.