Ex-Tennis Player Tim Gullikson Dies Of Cancer At 44

Tim Gullikson, the former tennis player who coached Pete Sampras to the No. 1 ranking in the world, died of brain cancer yesterday in Wheaton, Ill. He was 44.

Gullikson, who enjoyed most of his tennis success playing doubles with his identical twin brother Tom, had been fighting the disease for more than a year.

"Today I lost a dear friend and coach," said Sampras, from his home in Tampa, Florida in a statement issued by the ATP Tour. "But we all lost a special person."

Gullikson made his last coaching appearance with Sampras at the 1995 Australian Open, which he left abruptly to return home after falling ill. He was subsequently diagnosed with brain cancer.

-- Michael Chang, the two-time defending champion, moved closer to a title three-peat at the AT&T Challenge in Atlanta by holding off unseeded Brazilian Fernando Meligeni to advance to the semfinals.

The top-seeded Chang roared back from a 1-5 second-set deficit on the Atlanta clay to beat Meligeni 6-1, 7-5.

-- Thomas Muster extended his winning streak on clay to 38 matches by outlasting Mark Philippoussis of Australia 6-3, 0-6, 6-2 to reach the semifinals of the BMW Open in Munich.

Second-seeded Boris Becker also reached the semifinals, beating fellow German Bernd Karbacher 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-3).

Muster's semifinal opponent will be Carlos Moya of Spain, who upset third-seeded Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia 6-3, 6-4.

-- Top-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and second-seeded Conchita Martinez advanced to the semifinals of the Rexona Cup in Hamburg, Germany, while Mary Pierce ousted teenage sensation Martina Hingis.

Sanchez Vicario beat fellow Spaniard Angeles Montolio 6-4, 6-2. Martinez defeated Ruxandra Dragomir of Romania, also 6-4, 6-2.

Fourth-seeded Pierce saved a set point before beating the 15-year-old Hingis 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.

Police report

Lawrence Taylor, one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history, was arrested in Myrtle Beach, S.C., when he tried to buy $100 worth of crack cocaine from undercover agents.

Taylor, 37, was arrested along with 14 others in a reverse drug sting, said Hugh Munn, spokesman for the State Law Enforcement Division.

Taylor paid a surety bond of $5,000 and was released, Munn said.

Bicycles

Defending champion Lance Armstrong claimed his second stage win in less than 24 hours with a record time-trial showing to extend his overall lead in the Tour DuPont cycling race.

The 24-year-old Texan captured the 7.1-mile Raleigh time trial - the second of yesterday's two stages - in 12:56.965 for a winning margin of more than 23 seconds.

Auto racing

Terry Labonte won his fourth pole of the year with a record-breaking qualifying lap of 92.524 mph for the Save Mart Supermarkets 300 at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

Unlimited hydros

Chip Hanauer drove the Miss Budweiser to a record fast lap of 148.334 mph in qualifying for tomorrow's Gila River Casino Cup race on Firebird Lake in Chandler, Ariz., bettering his 1995 mark of 145.295.