European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 24, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse The stars and stripes Pago 25 americans Agassi Mcenroe win Graf begins women s French open title defense by Topping Guerere by Zanca Paris api san Mcenroe got mail monday and won his first French open match in inc tournament since 19b5 and ninth seeded american Hope Ful Andre Agassi also won monday Mcenroe seeded Jusi Feih As he Bat Les his Way Back Frum in injury beat 21 year old Alana nor Volkov 7-6, 6-1, 7-6, but Only after shaming at himself and glaring at a line judgi1 Ai 2 critical Point while trailing 3-1 in the first bet. "1 sure won t win tic tournament playing that Way Mcenroe said. I m no really coming Here expecting to win. It s purely a Long Shol. But longer shots have the 18-year-old current american Hope Agassi easily downed i Solo Cane of Italy 6-4.6-1. F -2 in the1 second Center court match. Top seeded Steffi Graf of West Ger Many kicking off the defense of her French open women s Lilly. Defeated Nathalie Guc Rree of France 6-0, 6-4. The Only seed to lose monday was no. 11 Kal Crina Mil Cuvo of Bulgaria who fell 6-4, 7-5 to frenchwoman Catherine Tanvir. A partisan crowd at Center court cheered on Tanvir. 22. Who spar kled in a Bright yellow to shirt and yellow headband Matching her blonde hair. She was once ranked 22nd in the world but has fallen to 124ih eleventh seeded Manuela Malcova. Of Bulgaria playing while her sister was being upset by Tangier. Won easily Over Clra h uber of Austria 6-3. 6 1. Emilio Sanchez of Spain the 12th seed among the men downed Mansour Bahrami of Iran 6-1, 7-5. 6-3. No. 13 Andres Gomez of Ecuador struggled be fore pulling away Ulf Stenlund of swe Den 7-6, 6-0, 4-6, 4-6. 6-4. Guillermo Pyrcz Roldan of Argentina the 15ih seed Defeated his countryman Alberto Mancini 6-3, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4. The top men s seed in action no. 3 Mats Wilander of Sweden disposed of Josef Cihal of a Coli Slovakia 7-5, 7-5, 6-1. No. 6 seed Van Nick Noah Defeated Ricki Osterthun of Weil Germany 7-6, 6-1.7-6. Among the women fourth seed Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina whipped Maider Laval of France 6-1,7-5. Playing on Center court at Roland Garros stadium Graf lost her serve twice in the second set. Hut she then held serve to go up 5-4. And broke to win the match just 49 minutes after it began with a rocketing forehand the frenchwoman could nol return. The men s Champion Tvan lentil of Czechoslovakia who hardly Ever loses in Paris had in Wail until today to begin his quest for a third straight French Tennis Crown. Graf said that once she had control she tried some cd Peri mints Getling away from her established game. "1 should have played the same Way throughout the match but 1 did to she said. "1 was trying too Many special shots and taking too Many tactically there is no Way to play her Guerre said. With her forehand she can win the Point from any position f she plays her Bell there is nothing you undo against in inc second round Graf will meet Ronnie acis if Miami who won 6-3,6-3 today Over Niurka Sodupe of Miami in another first round match seventh seeded Claudia Kuhn a Kilsch of West Ger Many beat and Ichiki Kancle Lopoulos of Greece 6-2. M. Wilander snid he struggled in the first two Seis because he Trielo Rush the net rather than Sla ing patiently at the Back line in his Normal Clay court style. I was trying to play a real hard court game and i did t work he said. It was a typical first round match. When you re two sets up you relax and play great in the he said lie was not surprised to see Mcenroe win. Because the american was Sharp when the two practice together last week. I thought he was playing really Well said Wilander who Defeated Mcenroe in the 1985 French open semifinals. I think the main hinges he was hitting the Ball Hartier and he was serving hard Mcenroe skipped the 1986 French tournament while taking a Sabatich from Tennis then was upset in the first round by Horacio do la i Cna last year. For the second year in a Row Mcenroe looked headed for an Early exit. Volkov was ahead 3-1 in inc first set and moved to Deuce on Mcenroe s serve when the american sent a forehand into the net. Choke. You re a Mcenroe screamed at himself. As he prepared to serve the next Point his anger switched to a line judge who called a foot fault too Early before the Ball was even oui of Mcenroe s hand the ruling was overturned Mcenroe composed himself and slammed an Ace to Start his comeback. You woke me up he said to the official As he go ready for his rent serve. He rallied to tic the Sci. Then won in 7-2 in the tic Brcak. In the third set he won the tiebreak by the same 7-2 score. In other matches by seeded players no. 6 Helena Sutkova of Czechoslovakia Defeated Isabel Cucto of West Germany 6-2, 6-0, while Raffaella Reggi of Italy the 12th seed downed Sabrina golds of Yugoslavia 6-4.6-2. No. 10 seed Zina Garrison of Houston outlasted Stephanie Chc of Highland Calif. It i 4-6, 6-1. The eighth seed Hana a Melikova of Australia Defeated Elizabeth Minler of Australia 6-2,6-1. Last year Graf also opened the tournament with a Victory Hal started her on her Way to the litle her first grand slam championship. She beat Martina Navratilova in the final when she was a week away from her i ugh birthday. Lindl the men s lop seed plays today against another French wild card Phil Lipe Pech. Who. At no. 262, is the lowest Aga Jisi nails a backhand in route to a three set win Over i Lily s Paula Cane. A photo run cd player in the draw Lindl is on inc rebound after being out for almost two months with a stress Fia Clure in his fool. He resumed to com i Ilion with tournament victories on Clay at Monte Carlo and Rome. Lindl holds a 14-Matcli Victory Streak at inc French open. The last time he lost was in the 198 final against Wilander. He won the tournament in i9u4. Altogether. Lentil has won 27 of his last 2b matches in Paris. Nuggets lever shrugs off torn character rap Denver a a Fayelle lever is shrugging off All the slurs against his integrity in sitting out the Denver nuggets last three semifinal play nit tames As his team went Down to defeat against the Dallas Mavericks. He was sitting out the games because of a knee injury. I made a decision that i was t Able to play and i la still Itati by it. I Don t have anything to hide or be ashamed of lever said As he awaited surgery of re pair the right knee. The Only thing that would bother me is if had teammates that would criticize me. Those criticisms destroy trims lever said. However one Dallas newspaper columnist suggested lever s Only injury was torn Denver fans who buy tickets and cast All Star ballots have questioned lever s resolve on radio talk shows even coach Doug Moc thought until just before Ocianie topoff his Best guard might Slart. However. Nuggets president Pete Bab Rock has k Nown lever since High school and is Quick to defend Llie player s integrity it s ludicrous for anyone to question fat s integrity or willingness to contrib Ute to the team. Go Back Anil look at everything he s done for us the last four years Hancock said. In i jobs. Lever had arthroscopic sur Gery during the second round of the play offs. Eleven Days later he was on the Conn playing against the lakers Han reminded however the Denver pos reported that physicians agreed thai lever could compete without doing any damage to himself. But the guard said lit believed he could t. In game 3, Mcc criticised lever for his Pursuit of Dallas Rolando blackmail. It definitely Wasa sign to me thai my knee was t right is How Lovci read the criticism alter inc game. Lever s knee began to swell. An hour before game 4 he argued heatedly against putting on a uniform. Lever already had decided to get a Sec Ond medical opinion other than that of team physician Sheldon Roger who earlier told him the injury could t get worse. Lever Suid there w As pain and the knee locked when he walked. I k also had talked with teammate Calvin Nail who played through a knee injury three years ago. Nail was an All Star in 1985, since then he has been to Hhd with injuries and underwent knee surgery again last january sitting out the remainder of the season. Nalt now is fated with the Prospect of forced retirement. A did t want to end us like Calvin levers id. Am sports radio i Iii key Stanley cup final Edmonton at Huston 136 in. We ii
