Sampras to play Chang

Friday, Jan. 10, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Pete Sampras didn't even have to step on court to gain a spot in the title match of the Colonial Classic at Melbourne, Australia.

French Open champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov withdrew today from both the exhibition tennis tournament and next week's Australian Open because of a broken bone in his right hand.

The Russian was due to face Sampras, the world's No. 1 player, in the semifinals of the Colonial today. Instead, Sampras had to settle for a gentle workout with Frenchman Arnaud Boetsch.

Sampras was given a walkover into the final and will face world No. 2 Michael Chang of Henderson in Saturday's all-American affair, a repeat of last year's U.S. Open men's singles final, which Sampras won.

Tournament director Colin Stubs said Kafelnikov fractured a bone in his right hand during a gym workout, but declined to say how.

Kafelnikov preferred not to talk about the injury.

"Yevgeny is pretty distressed," Stubs said. "It is a pretty bad break and he will be out for four to six weeks."

Sampras played a demonstration match against Boetsch to entertain the Kooyong crowd after Kafelnikov's withdrawal, winning 6-4, 6-4.

"It was just good to get another match under my belt," Sampras said. "Arnaud is a solid player and another match was nice, even though the ball was blowing all over the place."

Sampras and Chang are seeded to meet in the Australian Open final, and on Saturday they will continue a rivalry that stretches back to their junior days.

"It will be a fine test to see where I'm at," Sampras said. "I'll be trying to come in against Michael, but he's difficult to do that against because he hits the ball so deep.

* CAPRIATI IN FINAL: At Sydney, Australia, Jennifer Capriati's comeback is serious. With her latest upset -- she knocked off fourth-seeded Lindsay Davenport 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 today -- Capriati grabbed a spot in the final of the Sydney International tennis tournament where she will meet the latest teen phenom, 16-year-old Martina Hingis. The second-seeded Hingis reached the women's title match with a 6-3, 6-2 rout of American Mary Joe Fernandez. In the men's final, Britain's Tim Henman will face Spain's Carlos Moya.