Formula One Driver Injured In Monaco Crash

Karl Wendlinger, an Austrian race-car driver, was in a coma with severe head injuries after crashing this morning during practice for the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo.

The accident occurred on the first day of Formula One competition since the deaths of Brazil's Ayrton Senna and Austrian Roland Ratzenberger two weeks ago during the San Marino Grand Prix weekend.

A doctor at the Saint Roc Hospital in Nice, France, said Wedlinger, 25, was in a "very serious coma," with the chances of survival uncertain.

Wendlinger's auto hit a barrier as he exited a tunnel just before a small curve on the fastest portion of the circuit.

Michael Schumacher of Germany won the provisional pole for the race in afternoon qualifying.

Football

Andre Tippett, veteran linebacker for the New England Patriots, retired today. Tippett, 35, led the Patriots with 8 1/2 sacks last season and is the team's all-time leader with 100.

Tennis

Pete Sampras defeated Russian veteran Andrei Chesnokov in straight sets today to reach the quarterfinals of the Italian Open.

The top-seeded Sampras won 7-6 (10-8), 6-3, overcoming a sluggish start, reducing unforced errors he committed in earlier matches and improving his service.

The world's No. 1-ranked player is trying to raise his game on the slow, red clay in Rome in preparation for the French Open, the only Grand Slam tournament played on the surface and the only one the American has not won.

Third-seeded Jim Courier kept on course to win his third straight Italian title, outlasting No. 13 Wayne Ferreira of South Africa 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-4.

Andre Agassi's clay-court season suffered another jolt when he was ousted yesterday by Italy's Stefano Pescosolido, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.

-- Top-seeded Steffi Graf and fourth-seeded Gabriela Sabatini rolled to easy straight-set victories at the German Open in Berlin. Graf beat No. 13 Ginger Helgeson of the U.S. 6-2, 6-2. Sabatini moved into the third round by knocking off another American, Kimberly Po, 6-4, 6-0.

-- Bryan Shelton, his powerful serve undeterred by the slow clay courts, upset third-seeded MaliVai Washington 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to advance to the quarterfinals of the America's Red Clay Championships in Coral Springs, Fla.

Soccer

Against the wishes of soccer organizers, police in Dallas and Washington have ordered that fences be built between the field and spectators for the World Cup this summer. In addition, officials in Stanford, Calif., will keep a permanent fence in place at Stanford Stadium.

Soccer officials, who have taken down perimeter fencing in Europe, say barriers contribute to trouble rather than deter it. But police say they want to prevent crowd-control incidents during the 24-nation, 52-game tournament that starts June 17 in nine U.S. cities.

-- Argentine star Diego Maradona was barred today from entering Japan for World Cup tuneup games because of his drug history.

-- Internazionale of Milan won the UEFA Cup for the second time in four seasons, beating Salzburg 1-0 for a 2-0 victory in the home-and-home, total-goals final.

Cycling

Lance Armstrong of Austin, Texas, rode to an uphill, wheel-length victory and gained four seconds for the second straight day to move into second place behind Russian Viatcheslav Ekimov after seven stages of the Tour DuPont. Armstrong, the reigning world road champion, edged ahead of the race leader in the final 200 yards for his win in 6 hours, 12 minutes, 24 seconds in the 125-mile Whytheville, Va., to Beech Mountain, N.C., road race.

Weightlifting

Lithuania will not compete in the European Powerlifting Championships in Sweden after the arrest of eight team members. At customs, they indicated they had nothing to declare. The Lithuanians were stopped and searched. Each team member was in possession of 400 to 1,000 tablets containing anabolic steroids, police said. The eight will be charged with attempting to smuggle banned substances.

Bowling

Aleta Sill defeated Dede Davidson 621-547 in a five-game match and earned the top spot in the stepladder finals of the $65,000 WIBC Queens Tournament in Salt Lake City.