NEWS
MATCH REPORTS
DIARY
OTHER SPORTS
SLIDE SHOW
PEOPLE
ARCHIVES

Rios plays tag with Sampras

They've been at it for most of the year, and the end is nowhere in sight.

Another instalment of the rivalry for the number one spot in men's tennis takes shape, with Marcelo Rios moving to within one win of dethroning current world number one Pete Sampras.

Rios, what is more, did it by dismantling Boris Becker in straight sets, late Friday, to reach the semifinals of the Mercedes Cup, now on in Stuttgart.

Top seeded for this tournament, Rios was all over the former world number one, with an array of laser-guided passing shots to win 6-2, 6-0, closing ou the one sided match, lasting a mere 45 minutes, with an ace.

The win must have come as sweet revenge to Rios, who a fortnight ago went under in straight sets to Becker in the semifinal of the Swiss Open.

Rios, who held the number one ranking for four weeks beginning end-March, will regain the top slot if he can down world number 11 Karol Kucera in the semifinal, to be played later this evening.

Sampras, now holding the top slot, had held the ranking for 102 straight weeks before an elbow injury kept him out of action and allowed Rios to catch up.

Sampras then regained his slot with an outstanding run at Wimbledon, taking the title. While he is having a break and preparing for the US Open, however, Rios, active on the European clay court circuit, snuck up on the American yet again, and now seems set to push him off the high perch.

Spare a thought, though, for Boris Becker. Coming off a two hour match against Felix Mantilla the day before, the former Wimbledon champion seemed listless and out of step against Rios.

His approaches to the net became fewer as the match went on -- thanks in large part to Rios' accuracy on the passes down the line, which he alternated with lovely touch on the lob.

With his clock ticking and full retirement imminent, Becker's dream of winning at least one clay court title to match the ones he has on grass and hardcourts remains a mirage.