Sampras gets a walkover

But No 4 Tim Henman of Britain was ousted by Germany8217;s Jens Knippschild 7-6 7-5, 6-3. No 7 Jim Courier was eliminated by Australian Patrick Rafter, the No 9 seed, who won 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Courier double faulted on match point.

Krajicek shocked

HALLE: Richey Reneberg of the United States has ousted Richard Krajicek in three sets at the Gerry Weber Open without once succeeding in breaking the defending Wimbledon champion8217;s hard serve.

Reneberg reached the quarterfinals yesterday and made the tall Dutchman the first major upset victim at the 875,000 Wimbledon tuneup with a 4-6, 7-6 7-2, 7-6 8-6 victory.

Top-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia and Germany8217;s Michael Stich also struggled to reach the last eight against unseeded opponents.

Kafelnikov beat 19-year-old German Nicolas Kiefer 7-6 7-3, 7-6 7-2, while Stich had to fight off a match point in the tie break before edging South Africa8217;s Grant Stafford, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 9-7.

Easy for Spirlea

BIRMINGHAM: The top three seeds have advanced to the quarterfinals of the DFS Classic women8217;s grass-court tournament without dropping a set in their third-round matches.

Top-seeded Irina Spirlea of Romania took just 70 minutes to defeat American Nicole Arendt 6-3, 6-4. Even quicker was second-seeded Frenchwoman Nathalie Tauziat8217;s 7-5, 6-1 win against Olga Barabanschikova of Belarus, which lasted only 65 minutes.