BRIEFLY : SAMPRAS, OTHER STARS LOSE AT MONTE CARLO.

The Monte Carlo Open lost a lot of star power Tuesday when Pete Sampras, Thomas Muster and Boris Becker, with 15 Grand Slam titles among them, all lost their first matches.

Magnus Larsson of Sweden, a former top-10 player, beat Sampras, the world's top-ranked player, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3; Renzo Furlan of Italy beat Becker 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), and Fabrice Santoro of France ousted Muster 6-2, 7-6 (7-3).

``It's the same story with me on clay,'' said Sampras. ``I just start pressing a little bit and start going for a little too much. On hardcourt it just comes naturally.''

Muster, once nearly unbeatable on clay, now has lost twice within a week on the surface.

HOCKEY: Valentin Sych, president of Russia's Hockey Federation, was shot and killed outside his country house in an apparent contract killing.

Gunmen opened fire on Sych as he and his wife prepared to get into their car near the village of Ivantsevo, north of Moscow, said Yuri Korolyov, federation vice president. The attackers shot from a vehicle parked nearby, threw down an automatic weapon, then drove away, Korolyov said. Sych's wife, Valentina, was seriously injured and hospitalized.

FOOTBALL: Five UCLA players have signed free-agent NFL contracts, tight end Jamal Clark with Seattle, safety Anthony Cobbs with Arizona, cornerback Paul Guidry with Baltimore, defensive lineman Travis Kirschke with Detroit and outside linebacker Phillip Ward with Indianapolis.

BASKETBALL: Stanford basketball star Kate Starbird signed a three-year contract with the Seattle Reign of the American Basketball League.

Hoping to jazz up offensive play, the NCAA decided to reinstate the five-second rule which was dropped four seasons ago. Under the rule, an offensive player may not dribble the ball more than five seconds if a defender is within six feet of him. The offensive player must shoot or pass or be called for a turnover.

The Vancouver Grizzlies, in anticipation of hiring a new coach this summer, fired two assistants but retained assistant Lionel Hollins. The Grizzlies said Rex Hughes and Jimmy Powell wouldn't return.

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Photo

Photo: Pete Sampras wipes his nose during a first-round loss to Magnus Larsson.

Associated Press