Sampras is given a walkover

THE Curse of the ATP Lipton Championships has claimed Germany's Hendrik Dreekmann at Key Biscayne, sending world number one Pete Sampras into the semifinals in a walkover.

Dreekmann, ranked 54th, was walking back to his Miami hotel after dinner on Tuesday night when he tripped over a bump on the pavement and severely sprained his right ankle.

"It was really dark and I didn't see the bump," Dreekman said yesterday. "I knew it was bad as soon as I fell to the ground."

"I couldn't move it this morning. It was hurting very much. I just can't believe it. So unlucky. I, was playing really well the whole week."

The mishap extended a history of off court misfortunes in Key Biscayne that includes Goran Ivanisveic retiring from the 1996 final with a stiff neck and Thomas Muster being hit by a car after reaching the 1989 final.

"It's in the air," Sampras said. "No, really, it's all coincidence.

don't think it is anything more. It's a complete fluke. I have never heard of this in six or seven years on the tour."

Dreekmann (22) iced his ankle overnight and was examined ink the morning. But instead of playing his second quarter final of the year, he departed on crutches for X rays and will be unable to play for at least two weeks.

"You should have seen this guy's ankle. It was like a softball," said Sampras, himself a victim of the Lipton curse in 1990 when food poisoning forced him to withdraw from a quarter final.

Sampras reached the semi finals of the 2.45 million dollar event for the fifth consecutive year.

"You are always concerned with two days off," Sampras said. "I might come out in the match Friday and be a little rusty. I will practise harder and try to make it work to my advantage."

Ivanisevic lost the first three games to Andre Agassi last year before quitting. He had complained about being unable to sleep well here.

"I was playing too many tournaments and had too much stress over how to win every match," the fourth seeded Croatian said.

Muster suffered torn left knee ligaments in 1989 when struck by a drunken driver's car in Miami. "That was an unlucky experience," he said. "I have never really had success the way I wanted it here.

Boris Becker reached the 1993 quarter finals without playing after a bye and walkovers when Italy's Gianluca Pozzi and Swede Nicklas Kulti were hurt.