European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 30, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                All even in the Lyon s Den Agassi Rolls Sampras reels in Davis cup final openers by David Crary Lyon France apr Henri Leconte Only barely recovered from Back surgery sent a partisan crowd into a frenzy Friday with a straight set upset of Pete Sampras to tie the Davis cup final Between France and the United states at 11. Leconte ranked Only 159th in the world leaped into the arms of French Captain Yannick Noah after defeating the worlds no. 6 ranked player 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. A a it a not won yet a but we have a Chance a Leconte said. France had seemed on the Brink of disaster after its top player Guy forget was run into exhaustion by Andre Agassi who won the opening match 6-7 7-962,6-1, 6-2. But Leconte whose ranking has slipped while playing Only a handful of matches since Nis operation in july swiftly turned the fans despair into standing ovations. He slammed aces past Sampras charged the net with abandon and lunged for winning volleys As though his Back had never troubled him. Sampras perhaps the hottest player in the world in the past few months seemed Jess bothered by the ecstatic foot stamping crowd than by Leconte a go for broke style. The 20-year-old californian won the at tour championship this month in Frankfurt but was making his Davis cup debut. Agassi lost the first set in 9-7 tiebreaker then stormed Back for a 6-7, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 Victory Over forget. In one decisive stretch spanning parts of the second and third sets he won 13 of 14 Points. A i was running from right to left and left to right and my legs were hurting a forget said. A the was the master on the court a it Wasny to the pressure from the  Agassi who had beat forget in 1987 in their Only previous meeting started auspiciously before a sellout crowd of 8,300 m Lyon s palais Des sports. Before the French flags had begun waving Agassi broke service in the first game rifling a shot past forget on break Point As the Frenchman tried his first Rush to the net. Forget broke Back in the sixth game to level the set at 3-3, bringing the crowd alive with a Thunder of feet stamping. His last moment of glory came in the tiebreaker when he prevailed after Agassi saved two set Points. Agassi then took control keeping forget pinned to the Baseline and chasing shots from one Corner to another. In each of the final three sets Agassi broke forget twice and seemed to grow More determined each time the crowd tried to pump up forget. A i think i just persevered a Agassi said. A i knew he would be the Man to beat. He a got a lot on his hands playing singles and doubles and sometimes its kind of hard having the crowd on your  Sampras said earlier he hoped Agassi a will go out and win and Calm Down the  _ forget also will play doubles on saturday facing the Veteran . Team of Ken Flach and Robert Seguso. French Captain Yannick Noah has named unheralded Arnaud Boetsch As forgets partner but Leconte could be a last minute replacement if he appears in Good shape after his match with Sampras. A Henri is the Type of player who can beat anyone anywhere a Noah said. A the has been so close to being dead. Now he a coming Back to  Leconte has never played Sampras and is 2-2 against Agassi who he will play in the reverse singles sunday. Noah while rating his team a 3-1 underdog insisted there was Hope. He noted that forget beat Sampras on nov. 8 and said Agassi a is not the player he was last  the stars and stripes november30,1991 c Page 28inside sports nil team individual statistics a Page 23 . Shape team takes shape a Page 24 Florida a big 3 on to a Page 25 aggie sink Texas earn title a Page 26 late to lifts huskers a Page 26 Flutie Heads Cal selections a Page 27 cowboys Beuerlein i gun Down Steeles Letler Back Merril logo is tackled fur a loss by Cowboy linebacker Ken Norton. By Denise h. Freeman Irving Texas a the Dallas cowboys curled up and died after Troy Aikman was injured a year ago. This season they Are flourishing without their starter and making a wild card playoff run thanks to a quarterback a Davis did no to want. Steve Beuerlein who started 15 games for Davis los Angeles raiders and was 8-7, paid another dividend on Dallas coach Jimmy Johnson a quarterback insurance policy. Beuerlein obtained in August for a 1992 fourth round draft pick hit Michael Irvin with a ,66-Yard touchdown pass that keyed the cowboys 20-10 Victory thursday Over the Pittsburgh Steeles. A Troy and Steve Are both Good quarterbacks a Irvin said. A Troy has a stronger Arm but look what a fantastic Job Steve did with just a Short week. The More we work together the better we will  the cowboys wilted last year when Aikman was injured and backup babe Laufenberg  produce victories in the final two games. Those losses Cost Dallas its first playoff berth since 1985. Johnson Cut Laufenberg in training Camp and traded for Beuerlein. A Beuerlein did just a great Job filling in a Johnson said. A the executed the game plan did no to make any turnovers then hit the big  Aikman sustained a knee injury against Washington last week that will keep him out at least three weeks. Beuerlein came into that game and threw a touchdown pass to Irvin in a 24-21 Victory. A this year it does no to matter whether we have Steve or Troy Back there he cause they both can move the team Quot Center Mark Stepnoski said. A the cowboys 8-5 Are in a favourable position m the wild card race. The steel Erst 5-8 were virtually eliminated from Contention in the acc. Irvin caught eight passes for 157 Yards. Beuerlein making his first nil Start in two years found Irvin cutting across the Middle with 7 22 remaining. Safety d and then Irvin Shook Gary Jones missed off cornerback Rod Woodson at the Steeles 15-Yard line to score standing up. A the a play maker made the play a said Beuerlein who was limping on a sprained left ankle. A the beat the safety to the Ball. A i was hoping he would get there first. Its the kind of play you expect him to make and the kind of play we needed to break the game  Dallas led 13-10 when Beuerlein made the big play on third-and-10. A i knew the safety Jones wanted to put a big hit on me a Irvin said. A i just caught it and took  the Steeles trailed 10-0 at halftime but came Back on Gary Andersons 42-Yard Field goal and a 3-Yard scoring run by Warren Williams with 7 54 to play. Up to the Beuerlein Irvin connection the cowboys Only had a 43-Yard Field goal by Ken Willis in the second half. Willis missed three Field goal attempts. Pittsburgh coach Chuck Noll said the touchdown pass was a Good players making a Good play. It could have been a big play in the other direction a Steeler quarterback Neil of Donnell said it looked almost hopeless for the Steeles to make the playoffs. A your playoff chances Are pretty much gone so i guess from now until the end of  we play for Pride a of Donnell said. A the defense played Well enough for us to win. Its kind of frustrating that we  do More  Beuerlein hit 14 of 25 passes for 217 Yards of Donnell had 17 of 36 for 167