NEW YORK -- President Clinton watched the men's semifinals of the U.S. Open on Saturday between signing hats, tennis balls and T-shirts tossed into his VIP box.

The president came to the Pete Sampras-Lleyton Hewitt match after a morning meeting with Israel Prime Minister Ehud Barak and lunch at a midtown delicatessen with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, National Security Adviser Sandy Berger and fund-raiser Terry McAuliffe.

After Sampras won in straight sets, he was asked whether he would want to give Clinton lessons on his forehand or his serve.

"I'll give him whatever he wants, he's the president," Sampras said.

Marat Safin, the 20-year-old Russian who will play Sampras in the final on Sunday, visited Clinton in the VIP box, and the president autographed a U.S. Open program for him.

Clinton had planned to stay for the women's final between Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport -- the first at the U.S. Open between American-born women since 1979 -- but left when the start of the match was delayed because of rain.

Clinton had been in New York since Tuesday night for the U.N. Millennium Summit. The president sat in a box with U.S. Tennis Association president Judy Levering. He was joined by National Economic Adviser Gene Sperling and tennis great John McEnroe, among others.

Fans threw balls, hats and shirts to the president, and he signed them and tossed them back until a Secret Service agent moved to the front of the box and ordered a halt. Nevertheless, it continued with people dropping shirts and hats from above.

Later, Clinton was to join wife Hillary at their home in Chappaqua and return to Washington on Sunday morning.

Clinton is not a tennis player and had never attended a major tennis match. He and daughter Chelsea, in New Zealand during a summit with Asian-Pacific leaders during last year's Open, called to congratulate women's champion Serena Williams.