Sampras Reclaims No. 1 as Moya Loses in Florida

Pete Sampras reclaimed the No. 1 tennis ranking he relinquished last week, winning Monday at the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla., because Carlos Moya lost.

Sampras advanced to the quarterfinals by beating Albert Costa, 6-4, 6-4. Hours earlier, the top-ranked Moya succumbed to fatigue, nerves and Sebastien Grosjean, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (11-9).

The results ensure that Sampras will return to No. 1 when the new computer rankings are released. It will be his 263rd week on top, seven shy of Ivan Lendl’s record.

In women’s third-round play, Serena Williams beat Magui Serna, 6-1, 6-0, and older sister Venus eliminated Fabiola Zuluaga, 6-3, 6-4.

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Sampras and Andre Agassi will not play for the U.S. Davis Cup team in its first-round match April 2-4 against Great Britain in Birmingham, England. Team captain Tom Gullikson announced that the squad will consist of Jim Courier, Todd Martin, Jan-Michael Gambill and Alex O’Brien.

College Sports

The legal skirmish over the NCAA’s long-standing use of test scores to determine freshman eligibility continued when lawyers accused the NCAA of undermining a recent court ruling.

U.S. District Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter struck down the so-called Proposal 16 earlier this month, stating that it discriminated against African Americans by requiring prospective student-athletes earn a minimum score on the SAT or ACT.

Last week, the NCAA appealed and advised its members that any Division I school disobeying Prop. 16 will face punishment if Buckwalter’s ruling is later vacated, stayed or reversed. Lawyers for the four athletes who challenged Prop. 16 want the NCAA to stop threatening such punishment.

Peter Shinnick, the offensive line coach at Humboldt State last year, was hired as coach of 1998 NAIA football champion Azusa Pacific. Shinnick, 33, succeeds Vic Shealy, who left after four seasons as Azusa Pacific’s coach in January to become an assistant coach at the Air Force Academy.

Olympics

John Hancock, an insurance company, continued as the most vocal Olympic sponsor about the ongoing bribery scandal, calling on Australian IOC member Phil Coles to resign.

“No doubt, Mr. Coles has sincere and personal reasons for staying,” the company said in a written statement. “He has made many important contributions to the Olympics over the years. But now, he is damaging the movement worldwide as well as Australia’s outstanding efforts to stage what will be extraordinary games. By leaving, he can right that unintentional wrong.”

IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch said last week he is asking Coles, the Australian’s former wife and Greek Olympic officials for more information regarding expensive gifts the Coles were said to have received.

Pro Football

Afraid they might flee if given a chance, a judge in Camden, N.J., set bail at $1 million and imposed more than half a dozen restrictions on Lawrence Taylor’s former lawyer and the man’s wife. Alfred Porro Jr., 64, and Joan Porro, 51, of Lyndhurst, N.J., awaiting sentencing on embezzlement and fraud charges, were ordered to remain under house arrest pending their sentencing Aug. 13.

Taylor and Porro were partners in a company that built the Lawrence Taylor Golf Center driving range in East Rutherford, N.J., but Taylor said he was not involved in the construction or financing.

Meanwhile, Taylor announced that his son, Lawrence Jr., 17, will be his presenter at the Hall of Fame inductions in August.

Free agent running back Travis Jervey signed a contract with the San Francisco 49ers. Previous reports indicated the former Green Bay Packer had agreed to a four-year deal worth $6 million. The 49ers would not release terms of the contract.

Hall of Fame member and former Pittsburgh Steeler center Mike Webster faces new charges of illegally obtaining a prescription drug. Webster was accused earlier this year of forging prescriptions 19 times in the Pittsburgh area and two more charges have surfaced.

Names in the News

Al Unser Jr. underwent two hours of surgery in Indianapolis so surgeons could insert a metal plate into his right ankle.

Unser, who broke the ankle Sunday during a crash in the Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami, was listed in good condition. He could be back racing in four to six weeks, but won’t be able to walk for eight to 12 weeks.

Willie Peterson, who caddied for Jack Nicklaus during five of his six Masters championships, is dead of lung cancer at 66. Peterson died at his home in New York on Saturday.

Skier Jakub Fiala won the men’s super-G title at the U.S. National Championships at Snowbasin Ski Resort near Huntsville, Utah, and Alex Shaffer won the women’s giant slalom at Park City Mountain Resort.