Sampras, Enqvist in title clash

Facing Sampras in the final doesn’t seem to awe the 23-year-old Enqvist, who has a 12-2 record in tournament finals after winning in Marseille two weeks ago. Sampras and Enqvist have never met in a tournament final.

Novotna in final

LINZ (AUSTRIA): World No 3 Jana Novotna strolled into the final of the $ 4,50,000 Women’s Austrian Tennis Open as she dispatched unseeded Silvia Farina of Italy 6-4, 6-1 in little over half an hour.

Novotna, top seed at the Linz tournament, needed just 36 minutes to see off Farina and will meet number four seedDominique Van Roost of Belgium in the final today.

The Belgian, ranked 16 in the world, had an even easier ride in the second semi-final as the Croatian number two seed Iva Majoli retired with a back injury after losing the first set 2-6.

Williams ousts Davenport

OKLAHOMA CITY: Venus Williams finally beat Lindsay Davenport, fighting back against the world No 2 for a title clash with South African Joanette Kruger in the $ 164,250 IGA Tennis Classic.

The third-seeded Williams dropped a first-set tie-breaker but went on to prevail against the top-seeded Davenport 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-3.

Kruger, the fourth seed, outlasted Sarah Pitkowski of France 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the other semi-final.