Lareau downs Kuerten

TORONTO, AUG. 3. Pete Sampras withstood a stiff early test from Morocco's Karim Alami before reaching the third round of the Masters Series event in Toronto, but French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten was bounced out in straight sets.

Canadian tennis fans, who have had little to cheer about since Greg Rusedski decided to become a Briton, watched in delight on Wednesday as their own Sebastien Lareau stunned the fourth-seeded Brazilian 7-6, 6-4 in the second round.

Kuerten's ouster left Sampras as the only one of the top four seeds remaining in the $3 million event after top seed Andre Agassi and third seed Magnus Norman were sent packing in the first round.

Seventh-seed Australian Lleyton Hewitt was also shown the door, falling 3-6, 6-7 (5-7) to Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean.

The second-seeded Sampras avoided that fate with his 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 victory. The seven-time Wimbledon champion had a chance to stamp his authority on the match right at the start as he held two break points to go up 2-0. But Alami fended off the early challenge.

That was the only opportunity Sampras was afforded in the opening set as both players then held serve comfortably until the tie- break.

In the second set, Sampras jumped to a 3-1 lead and then breezed through the final three games.

Bhupathi-Knowles pair advances

Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles beat the fourth-seeded Jiri Novak and David Rikl of the Czech Republic 6- 2, 6-3 to make it to the second round in doubles.

The Indo-Bahamas pair will take on wildcard entrants Nicolas Kiefer of Germany and Jocelyn Robichaud of Canada in the pre- quarterfinals. The German-Canadian combine beat another wild card pair of Frank Dancevic and Phil Gubenco of Canada 6-2, 6-4 in the first round.

The results: Pete Sampras bt Karim Alami 7-6 (7-3), 6-2; Sebastien Lareau bt Gustavo Kuerten 7-6, 6-4; Sebastien Grosjean bt Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 7-6 (7-5).

- Reuters

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