DEFENDING champion Pete Sampras captured his fourth US Open men's singles title by overpowering second seeded Michael Chang 6-1 6-4 7-6 (7-3) in Flushing Meadow in New York. Steffi Graf retained the women's title, defeating Monica Seles 7-5 6-4.

It was Sampras's first Grand Slam tournament crown of 1996 and the eighth of his career. He retained his world number one ranking with the victory.

"Pete played some great tennis today. It was one of those tough days," said Chang.

The beginning of the match was delayed by a heavy thunderstorm that drenched the National Tennis Centre moments after Graf had won the women's title.

The third set of the match went with serve to a tiebreaker, with both players serving so well that neither lost a point for 10 games.

Chang, leading 6-5, had one break opportunity - and one set point - but netted a forehand volley.

"I think the net was a little high on that point," Chang said later.

In the tiebreaker, Sampras took a 6-2 lead when Chang fired a forehand long. The second seed saved one match point with a backhand down the line, but Sampras claimed his fourth US Open title, and the eighth Grand Slam title of his career, when Chang's service return went long on the next point to give Sampras victory.

While Sampras was in his fifth US Open final, Chang was making his debut. Chang won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 7 the youngest man to win a Grand Slam singles title - and was runner-up at the French in 1995 and at the Australian Open in January this year.

In the women's final Graf saved her best for last, powering her way to an emphatic 7-5, 6-4 victory over second seed Seles to claim her fifth US Open title.

Seles and Graf may share the world's top ranking, but the German was the clear number one this time, winning the rematch of last year's final to successfully defend her title.

"I played my best today," Graf said during an awards ceremony shortened by a sudden torrential downpour.

"She was definitely better," agreed Seles, who won her fourth Australian Open this year but had not faced Graf since last year's US Open final.

With possibly the most impressive performance from the service line in her long, brilliant career, Graf romped to her 21st Grand Slam singles title, three shy of the all time record.

The victory coming in Graf's 29th Grand Slam final, also marked the fifth year that the 27 year old German has taken at least three of the four major titles.

"It seems pretty amazing what I've achieved already," said Graf who ran her Grand Slam match streak to 42, having won the last six majors she's played.

Bothered by nagging injuries and worried about her father's tax evasion trial, Graf had struggled early to find her range and focus in nearly all her matches during her 13th US Open campaign.

But she came out firing winners yesterday, her mind trained on her tennis and an opponent who had won this tournament twice herself.

And Graf unveiled a new weapon in her Grand Slam arsenal against Seles - Pete Sampras's first serve. The top seed fired in 10 aces, all in the 100 mile per hour (160 kph) range and picked up a number of other free points with serves that Seles simply could not handle.

"She kept the pressure on the whole time," said Seles, who may need surgery to repair a shoulder injury that hampers her own serve.

"Steffi was hitting tons of winners from the corners. She just played every level a little bit better than I did today."

Seles had been given a special joint number one ranking by the WTA Tour last year upon returning from more than two years away after being stabbed by a deranged fan during a match in Hamburg.

But she was ready to cede supremacy to Graf after Sunday's defeat. "Steffi is clearly number one, anybody can see that," said Seles, who picked up $300,000 as runner up, while Graf earned a champion's pay-day of $600,000.

Graf put the pressure on Seles early by coming up with a service break in just the third game. Seles won her next three service games, coming up with a second serve ace down the middle to hold for 4-5.

In fact, the second seed served harder in this match than she had throughout the tournament, perhaps deciding to go for broke in the final and let the surgeons repair her left shoulder afterwards.

With Graf serving for the set in the next game, Seles saved one set point before getting her lone break point of the match. She made the most of it with an overhead volley to draw even at 5-5, bringing a huge roar a crowd looking for a long battle.

But Graf had four break points in Seles's next service game and converted the last before serving out the set.

The top seed carried that momentum into the second set, reaching break point against the big hitting Seles in the first game with a backhand crosscourt pass before the second seed sailed a back and way long.

Graf drilled three aces in the next game to consolidate the break for 2-0. Seles saved three game points on Graf's next service game, but the German followed the third deuce with a service winner and a 100 mph (161 kph) ace.

Earlier yesterday American Gigi Fernandez and Natasha Zvereva of Belarus the second seeded team, beat top seeds Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario of Spain 1-6 6-1 6-4 to take the women's doubles title.