The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • 15

THE SUN SECTION Sports 2 The Redskins are counting on the Posse to get them back in the playoffs. 2 IB SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 1990 Agassi and Sampras wSl clash in final Sabatini dethrones Graf in straight sets i. i i JOHN EISEMBEitG 'v i li'fete twJut Ay li' 1 match that ended as the sun set over the Manhattan skyline. Agassi, 20, was raised in Las Vegas, the city of glitz and neon. Sampras.

19, was born in Potomac, and raised in Rancho Palos. Verdes. Calif. The contrast is Jarring. But the match Is perfect: the MTV kid against the boy next door.

Yesterday was simply extraordinary, perhaps the finest of the Super Saturday productions at Louis Armstrong Stadium. The opener was Agassi-Becker, a slugging match from the baseline that began at the cartoon hour 1 1 a.m. The opening set was tense, tight and terrific. Agassi couldn't connect on five set points, and Becker kept hanging in, finally clos- jBecker, McEnroe make semifinal exits By Bill Glauber Sun Staff Correspondent NEW YORK One wears dayglo outfits and stands on the baseline, while the other dresses In white and dares to serve and volley. Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras represent the new age of American men's tennis, and today they will meet in the first all-Amerlcan final at the U.S.

Open in 1 1 years. Agassi unloaded his power game and brought down West German Boris Becker, 6-7 (10-12), 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. in yesterday's semifinals. Sampras put away sentimental favorite John McEnroe, 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, in a Attacking net wins U.S. Open title By Bill Glauber Sun Staff Correspondent NEW YORK Twenty-four hours earlier, the words had sounded empty.

In a low voice, barely above a whisper, Gabriela Sabatlni said she would attack Steffi Graf at the net, said she would win and said she would become the U.S. Open women's champion. And yesterday, the 20-year-old Argentine delivered on every promise. Sabatlni owned the net, the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd and the U.S. Open women's final.

But most of all, she owned Graf. Sabatlni used her newly found confidence and a refashioned serve-and-volley game to beat Graf, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), and win the first Grand Slam title of her career. "I think it is the biggest feeling." Sabatlni said. "You Just can't explain it. There are no words to explain this emotion.

I really try to win a Grand Slam, and I can't believe this came true." The result was startling. Not just because Sabatini turned around her career and won, but also because Graf lost. Graf spent the first six matches of this tournament overwhelming her rivals. She wasn't working by the set, but by the minute, trying to wipe away the disappointment of a long, untidy year that included losses at the French Open and Wlm- See WOMEN, 19B, Col. 1 reran oma 1 2nd game-winner! in as many weeks topsW.Va., 14-10 By Mike Preston Sun Staff Correspondent MORGANTOWN.

W.Va. "Prime Time" was on again. University of Maryland wide receiver Gene Thomas, the player with ij sure hands and the fluid stride, pulled out another victory for the' Terps yesterday with a 59-yard touchdown reception in the flnai three minutes, as Maryland defeated j-j No. 25 West Virginia. 14-10.

yester-, 5 day before 64,950 at Mountaineers Stadium. The game was almost a repeat performance of last week's 20-13, season-opening win over Virginia Tech. Memory refresher: The Terps offense blew several chances to. score, the defense played well and 1 Thomas and quarterback Scott Zor.Jjj lak hooked up on the big play for the winning touchdown. Last week, Zolak threw a short pass that Thomas turned into a 51r yard touchdown with 1 minute, Tj second left In the game.

Yesterday, it was the same play (post pattern) and the same result. This time, Thomas scored with 2:27 left in the game. I "Never in my wildest dreams did 1 1 think this would happen two weeks' In a row," said Thomas, who trans-'-ferred to Maryland last spring from Montgomery-Rockville Junior Col- lege. This Is all unbelievable. It's all a matter of fate." Maryland wide receiver Barry Johnson, who threw the block downfleld that sprung Thomas, dis- jt agreed.

C. "He makes that kind of play two weeks In a row, and he says it's Just fate. No way," said Johnson. "He has shown what type of receiver he 1s. We've changed his name to Prime Time.

I love chasing him down the field after he scores. Believe me, is not luck on Gene's part Maryland, though, did get plenty See MARYLAND, 1 1 Col. 1 rf 1 1 .11.. AQENCE FRANCE -PHfcSSE Gabriela Sabatlni shows off her first Grand Slam trophy. land receptions the longest for 69 yards tied a Naval Academy record that Tony Hollinger had set against Indiana In 1985.

"I had fun, a lot of fun," said Dawson, who In three years of former coach Elliot Uzelac's wishbone system had Just 21 catches and three touchdowns. "I've been a blocking receiver and not getting a chance to do the things I like. This was a lot more fun." Playing before 23, 1 61 Navy won its first game in Annapolis since defeating Yale, 41-7, In the fifth game Sacrifice fly scores Anderson from third By Kent Baker Cal Ripken's sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the ninth Inning lifted the Baltimore Orioles to a 5-4 victory over California last night at Memorial Stadium. 'Mark Elchhorn relieved Chuck Finley In the ninth and got Into difficulty immediately, when Brady Anderson singled. Jeff McKnlght failed to sacrifice, then struck out, and a walk to Steve Finley and Joe Orsulak's single filled the bases.

Tennis stranger than fiction at the U.S. Open NEW YORK I would say that it was all a product of my Imagination, or; that maybe my contact lenses needed a good buffing, but there were 20,000 other people In Louis Armstrong Stadium yesterday, millions more watching on television. What I saw may have run strongly against the current of tennis belief, but it was not fiction. This Is the kind of day It was: The form chart was useless. Preconceived notions were irrelevant.

Black was white. Strong was weak. Men bit dogs. Boris Becker couldn't hold his serve or poise. Steffi Graf lost in straight sets.

Andre Agassi shut up and played. Why, the bright blue New York sky wasn't even blocked out by pollution. It all happened on something called Super Saturday, a made-for-TV spectacle that Includes the men's semifinals and women's final at the U.S. Open. Some will say they saw it all coming, that Becker, who lost to Agassi in four sets, hadn't played well throughout the tournament, and that Graf, who lost to Ga-briela Sabatlni, hadn't been herself all year.

Balderdash. OK, maybe the upsets themselves weren't totally Inconceivable. But no one could have foreseen the manner in which they unfolded. No one could have foreseen that Becker would lose his serve six times In a row, nine in all, or that he would shed his customary aplomb and endlessly argue calls. And no one could have foreseen that Sabatlni, a career-long paper lion, would sud- denly demonstrate a fighter will.

As Agassi was taking Becker out, it was hard deciding which was a bigger surprise, Becker's whining or tactics. He is, after all, not only tennis' strongest man, a three-time winner on Wimbledon's fast greens, but one of the few gentlemen In a society of crybabies. None of it figured. For some reason, though, he chose to ease up on his first serve, stick to the baseline and try to beat Agassi at his own game. Becker's serve and volley are his advantage over anyone on any surface except clay, but he has worked hard to develop his ground strokes, and when he won the title here a year ago, he saw it as a validation of his all-court game.

So, this year, he tried to beat everyone from the baseline. Maybe by next year he will realize it's a mistake. Agassi may be a brat and a fashion plate, see, but one thing he can do is play terrific baseline tennis. You're asking for trouble If you try to match him. He ran Becker from side to side again and again yesterday.

"Three hours of shots in the corners," Becker said. The better man won today." So, surprisingly, did the more lev- See EISENBERG, 17B5 Col. 1 3 in a Millioi Trainer hopes to be three-time winner J3y Dale Austin Trainer Buddy Raines is back at Pimlico Race Course today with the top name, Master Speaker, in the top race, the $200,000 Budweiser Maryland Classic, for the fifth Maryland Million program. It's a significant appearance for the horse and the trainer. Master Speaker could become the first three-time winner In Maryland Million history.

Raines, 80. has been a familiar sight at Pimlico since the 1930s. He has been In racing more See MEN, 18B, Col. 3 ft than three years, as the Midshipmen (1-0) twice came from behind to defeat Richmond, 28-17, in the opener for both teams. Quarterback Alton Grizzard and wide receiver Jerry Dawson, both seniors, hooked up for two of their three touchdowns In the decisive fourth quarter.

Grizzard's 17 completions in 33 attempts for 258 yards was Navy's best passing performance since a 31-22 loss to Syracuse In the ninth game of the 1986 season. And Dawson's three touchdown Course and won the $100,000 Maryland Turf race on the third Maryland Million card. Last year, he showed up at Pimlico and won the Classic, the headllner In the series of races limited to offspring of Maryland stallions. Master Speaker has returned to Maryland for more than Just the Million. He's l-for-3 at Pimlico since winning the Classic last year.

At 1W miles, the Classic Is be- See MILLION, 16B. Col. 5 Trainers come back for more. 298 Budweiser is a key sponsor. 23B catch ASSOCIATED PRESS of the 1988 season.

It also broke a three-game losing streak to Division I-AA opponents. Chaump didn't seem pleased, however, that his team struggled for three quarters with a I-AA foe that had gone 1-10 last season. "We were rather generous," said Chaump, who saw his team commit two turnovers an Interception and fumble. "Coming out on top, I admire the players because they overcame a lot of adversity." See NAVY, 15B, Col. 2 Orioles today Site: Memorial Stadium Time: 1:35 p.m.

Angels starter: Kirk McCaskill Orioles starter Anthony Telford (1-2, 3.10) Radio: WBAL (1090 AM), WTOP (1500 AM) The Angels regained the lead In the seventh, when Curt Schilling walked Brian Downing with the bases loaded after making a sensational play to get a force at the plate on Dave Winfleld's high chopper Maryland's Dave Marrone (48) and Bill Inge (15) prepare West Virginia quarterback Darren Studstill for rough landing during second half. Navy rides airwaves to 28-17 opening win Grizzard to Dawson helps halt Richmond By Jerry Bembry Sun Staff Correspondent ANNAPOLIS Navy's new offensive arsenal, "Air Chaump," was launched yesterday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, and It was a rousing success. The first game of the George Chaump era resulted in Navy's finest passing performance in more Maryland Million What: Nine horse races with purses that total $1 million. Where: Pimlico Race Course. When: Today, post time of first Million race at 1:29 p.m.

TV: ESPN. 4:30 p.m. Who: Top entries Include Safely Kept In the Distaff Handicap and Master Speaker In the Budweiser Maryland Classic. than 60 years, first as a rider, then as an assistant trainer and now as a head trainer. When Master Speaker was a 3-y ear-old, he came to Laurel Race Johnson stars for Terps.

11B Angels, through the middle. A single by Dick Schofleld and bunt single by Luis Polonia Bob Melvln hesitating on the throw after taking a look at second set up the inning and Devon White walked to bring on Schilling. The Orioles countered to tie at 4-4 in the bottom of the Inning on a-walk to McKnlght, Flnley's topped grounder fielded by catcher Lance -Parrish for the out at first and Bill See ORIOLES, 9B, Col. 1 Milligan expects to return shortly. S3 Red Wings win Governors' Cup.

5B I INSIDE with new AD at Maryland PAGE 2B AL East won't stand still, wait for Orioles PAGE 7B Striped-bass season filled with questions sPAGE31B BASEBALL Twins 6 Indians 1 Red Sox 10 Mariners 2 Blue Jays 3 White Sox 0 Athletics 5 Yankees 2 Tigers Brewers floyals Rangers Cubs 5 Cardinals 4 Giants 2 Astros 1 Wets 12 Phillies 3 Pirates 6 ExP 1 Padres Braves Dodgers Reds Covtrag 5-99 COLLEGE FOOTBALL No. 14 Virginia. 20 No. 9 Clemson 7 PAGE 1 0B Texas 17 No. 21 Perm State 13 PAGE 12B No.

3 Auburn 33 Cal State Fulierton 17 I PAGE 12B INDEX Colleges 2B College football 10-16B Tennis 17-19B Stellino on pro football 22B FrageronTV 23B Pro football 23-24B Letters 26B Horse racing 27-29B Preps 29B Outdoors 31 Golf 32B f- No. 23 Oklahoma 34 No. 19 UCLA 14 PAGE 12B Rhode Island 40 Towson State 21 PAGE 14B Bethune-Cookman 21 Morgan State 7 PAGE 16B JL, No. 3 Florida State. 45 East Carolina 24 PAGE 12B Southern Mississippi 27 No.

13 Alabama 24 PAGE 12B No. 17 Pittsburgh 29 Boston College 6 PAGE 12B.