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Rafter likely to take over No 1 spot

Patrick Rafter will be the new No 1 in the men's tennis rankings on July 26, provided Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras do not enter a tournament in Stuttgart at the last minute.

Agassi took over the No 1 spot from Sampras after Wimbledon despite being beaten by his fellow-American in the Wimbledon final.

In the latest rankings, issued on Monday, Agassi has 3,684 points, 11 more than second-placed Rafter.

None of the three are due to play before a tournament beginning on July 26 in Los Angeles.

The rankings operate on a 12-month basis and in those issued on July 26, Agassi will lose the 278 points he won for capturing the Washington title last year.

This would put Rafter on top, with Sampras 79 points behind.

But if Sampras or Agassi take up a wild card for the Stuttgart tournament, starting on July 19, they could win enough points to prevent Rafter moving to the top of the pile.

Rafter would be the first Australian to be number one since John Newcombe in 1974. Newcombe was top for a total of eight weeks.

Agencies