Sampras8217; crown under siege

KEY BISCAYNE, MARCH 18: Pete Sampras8217; long-time top spot in tennis will be under siege as the 4.6 million Lipton Championships begin tomorrow.As one of 32 men8217;s seeds at the men8217;s and women8217;s event, which many are hoping will be the future shape of tennis, the Florida-based world number one will not be in first-round action thanks to a bye.

But it is no secret that the 26-year-old has to pick himself up from off the hardcourt where he sunk after last week8217;s disheartening straight-sets third-round defeat by Austrian Thomas Muster in California.

If Sampras doesn8217;t play well in the 11-day event that likes to place itself just a notch below the Grand Slams, then the American could be overtaken on the top spot for the first time since Muster held the position for a month two years ago.