Seles not told of death threat

AUTHORITIES boosted security around the centre court for the Australian Open women's singles final last week after a death threat was made against Monica Seles, police have said.

Seles won the title on Saturday, and the Melbourne Sun Herala reported she was unaware that extra police had been sent to the Flinders Park stadium following the threat made by an anonymous telephone caller to the tournament organisers, Tennis Australia.

Neither she nor her family, who were in Melbourne, were told of the threat, the newspaper said.

A crazed fan stabbed Seles at Hamburg, Germany, in April 1993, and she was off the tennis circuit for more than two years as she recovered mentally and physically from the attack.

Police said that they had considered the threat seriously enough to put extra officers on duty at Flinders Park, but said that the matter was not being taken any further at this stage.

Tournament organiser Paul McNamee said secrecy was critical because of possible ramifications had Seles learned of the threat before her final.

At the post-match press conference following her straight-sets defeat of Germany's Anke Huber, Seles burst into tears when she was questioned about whether she would be prepared to play again in Hamburg.

Meanwhile, Seles, troubled by a shoulder injury, pulled out of the doubles to concentrate on singles as teenager Martina Hingis beat Gabriela Sabatini 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo yesterday.

Seles made ho reference to the newspaper report in announcing at the last minute that she was pulling out of the doubles to protect an injured left shoulder.

Seles, who plays her first singles. match here today against Irina Spirlea of Romania, suffered a muscle strain to her left shoulder during the Australian Open.

Seles had entered the doubles with the world number six and hometown favourite, Kimiko Date, of Japan.

The biggest action on court yesterday was 15-year-old Hingis win over Sabatini, once ranked third in the world.

Sabatini, winner of the tournament in 1987 and 1991, looked to be making a comeback when she took a 3-1 lead in the second set. But the Swiss showed poise beyond her years, steadying her game and fighting back to take the match.

"It was not as easy as the score looked," Hingis said. Hingis, who reached her first grand slam quarter-final in the Australian Open, said she was not overawed by facing sixth-seed Sabatini.

"It's maybe easier to play one of the seeded players because you have nothing to lose," she said.