Agassi, Sampras to Meet in Canadian Final

Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, the world’s top-ranked tennis players, beat Swedish opponents Saturday to advance to the final of the Canadian Open in Montreal.

“I always want to play Pete,” said the top-ranked Agassi, who routed Mats Wilander, 6-2, 6-0, in a windy afternoon match.

Sampras, in his first tournament since winning his third consecutive Wimbledon title, defeated 12th-seeded Thomas Enqvist, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), in a night match.

“I think I have more ability to hit through the wind,” Agassi said. “Usually, the wind is an equalizer, but today I got on top of him early and he struggled with it. He didn’t get the depth on his shots he wanted and that meant I could stay on the offensive.”

Boxing

Julio Cesar Chavez needed only 79 seconds--and one punch--to stop Craig Houk in a nontitle welterweight bout in Chicago.

The Mexican star used a left hook to run his record to 95-1-1 with the 81st knockout of his 15-year career. He’ll defend his WBC super-lightweight title in September against David Kamau.

International Boxing Federation flyweight champion Danny Romero (25-0, 22 knockouts) retained his title with a sixth-round knockout of challenger Miguel Martinez at San Antonio.

“I just wanted to take my time,” said the 21-year-old Romero, who scored the knockout at 1:53 of the sixth.

Mexican lightweight champion Juan Rodriguez (30-4-2) retained his title by fighting to a 12-round majority draw against Mauro Lucero of Mexico. Alex Sanchez (22-0, 16 KOs) of Puerto Rico retained his World Boxing Organization mini-flyweight title with a unanimous decision over Tomas Rivera of Mexico.

Motor Racing

NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt was knocked out early from the 50-lap, 100-mile International Race of Champions finale at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., but still won his second IROC title thanks to Al Unser Jr.

Earnhardt won his second overall points title when defending IndyCar PPG Cup champion Unser held off SCCA Trans-Am star Tommy Kendall to earn a record ninth IROC victory.

Mark Martin, who came into the fourth and final IROC race of the season trailing fellow NASCAR competitor Earnhardt by 10 points, never got higher than third in the 11-car field and wound up fifth, losing the title by four points, 61-57.

Martin stalked away after the race after angrily telling Indy car driver Scott Pruett, who raced with him most of the way and finished just ahead of him, “I wouldn’t want to race with you every week. Someone would get hurt.”

Unheralded Parker Johnstone, in his first oval race, won the pole with a speed of 230.458 m.p.h. for today’s Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway.

Damon Hill put his Williams Renault into the No. 1 starting position for today’s German Grand Prix at Hockenheim with a lap at 146.127 m.p.h.

Blaine Johnson (top fuel), John Force (funny car) and Kurt Johnson (pro stock) are the No. 1 qualifiers for eliminations today in the NHRA Autolite Nationals at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma.

Mark Tate, at the wheel of the Smokin’ Joe’s unlimited hydroplane, set a qualifying record of 169.05 m.p.h. on the Columbia River in Kennewick, Wash., breaking the mark of 168.58 set Friday by Dave Villwock in preparation for today’s Budweiser Columbia Cup.

Jurisprudence

Brian Grant of the Sacramento Kings and Tyrone Hill of the Cleveland Cavaliers were among four people arrested after a run-in with police in Cincinnati. Sgt. Alan March said Hill was charged with resisting the arrest of another person and disorderly conduct. Grant was charged with resisting arrest.

Juan Arroyo, a once-promising fighter who saw his career slide after bouts with drugs and alcohol and a stay in a jail, was arrested on multiple robbery charges in Miami.

Miscellany

UCLA’s Troy Glaus singled to score Cal State Fullerton’s Mark Kotsay in the bottom of the ninth to give Team USA a 7-6 victory over Cuba at Millington, Tenn. Before the game, Cuban officials said they were searching for right-hander Osvaldo Fernandez, who appears to have defected to the United States.

Miguel Indurain, showing no fatigue from his Tour de France victory, made a last-lap breakaway to win Russia’s first major professional cycling race in Moscow.

Holly McPeak and Nancy Reno defeated Linda Hanley and Angela Rock to win the FIVP Beach Volleyball World Championship Series event at Osaka, Japan.