Seles may join Graf in Eastbourne tune up

MONICA SELES, who has not played at Wimbledon since 1992, may complete the preparation for her return to the All England Club by joining Steffi Graf in making her debut in the annual Eastbourne Championships from June 17th to 22nd.

George Hendon, the tournament director, confirmed yesterday that a wild card had been requested for Seles. "We've been told by her management that, providing she comes through the French Open OK, it's her intention to play at Eastbourne," he said.

A joint appearance by the two players co ranked number one in the world would be an unexpected bonus for the south of England venue. Graf and Seles rarely compete at the same tournaments outside the four Grand Slams, one tending to be injured when the other is fit.

Seles has competed in only five events since making her comeback to the game in Canada last August, almost two and a half years after being stabbed by a spectator in Hamburg in April, 1993. In January, when Seles won the Australian Open, Graf was absent, recovering from a foot operation.

Although Graf once played in the under 21 event at Eastbourne it is the first time she has entered the main draw. During the past five years, many leading women players have preferred to practice the week before Grand Slams rather than risk their ranking by playing tournaments. The situation has been eased by a new WTA Tour rule which protects the points average of top players who enter events the week before a Grand Slam.

Seles, who has been nursing an injured shoulder for three and a half months since competing in Tokyo the week after the Australian Open, is due to play in Madrid next week in the hope of "finding her feet on clay courts on the eve of the French Open which starts on May 27th.

The men have been scuffling with the same objective in mind in Rome at the Italian Open, where Stefan Edberg bade farewell to the championships yesterday in circumstances more dramatic and emotional than a 6-3, 6-3 defeat by the Dutchman Richard Krajicek might suggest.

For one thing, Krajicek came close to beating the fastest serve recorded in the seven years of the ATP Tour the 220.4 kph by Britain's Greg Rusedski. Krajicek was timed at 220 kph (137 mph).

The delivery which time when Krajicek was leading 4 3, 30 30 in the second set of the quarterfinal, was not an ace. Edberg managed to get his racket to the ball, but could only watch his return fly wide.

Blocking the shot would not have improved Edberg's dodgy wrist, which he had shaken in pain after attempting to parry a smash two points earlier. But the Swede still contrived to create two break points in the game, the second with a superb top spin lob. In each case, Krajicek salvaged the situation with an ace.

The 24 year old Dutchman, whose career has been beset by injuries, served, returned and volleyed with conviction throughout, and regularly drew Edberg to the net and passed him. Although outplayed at his own elegant game, Edberg never lost the support of the capacity Centre Court.

So warm was the standing ovation accorded Edberg at the finish that one would have imagined him to be a regular visitor to the Foro Italico rather than making, his third, and final, trip to the tournament.

In today's semi finals Krajicek will play South Africa's Wayne Ferreira, who defeated Andrei Medvedev, 6 4, 6 4. Ferreira reached the same stage last year, losing to Thomas Muster.