Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi let their chances at the No. 1 world ranking slip away Friday when each lost in the Newsweek Champions Cup.
Paul Haarhuis beat Sampras for the third straight time, 7-5 (5-7), 6-7 (5-7), 6-1.Michael Chang defeated Agassi 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 6-1.
A win by Sampras - the top seed and two-time defending champion - in the quarterfinal match would have vaulted him over Thomas Muster and back into the top spot.
Agassi, No. 3 behind Muster and Sampras, could have claimed the No. 1 ranking by winning the tournament. Muster, the clay court specialist from Austria, will retain the top spot for at least another week.
Sixth-seeded Goran Ivanisevic, who has won four titles and made six appearances in finals already this year, beat Carlos Costa 6-4, 6-4 in their quarterfinal.
Marcelo Rios topped Wayne Ferreira 7-5, 7-5 to also reach the semifinals.
The Champions Cup has been marked by upsets of the top four seeds - Sampras, Muster, Agassi and Boris Becker - but the final of the women's State Farm Evert Cup, running concurrently at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, will match top-seeded Steffi Graf and No. 2 Conchita Martinez.
Martinez downed Kimiko Date 6-0, 6-4 in their semifinal Friday.