European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 18, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday july 18, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 25 Tennis in Germany Agassi coasts past Gomez in Stuttgart final Stuttgart West Germany a Andre Agassi of the United states using powerful ground strokes swept past Andres Gomez of Ecuador 6-4, 6-2 to win the $350,000 Mercedes cup Tennis tournament sunday. It was the fourth tournament Victory this year for the 18-year-old american who is ranked sixth in the world. I apologize to Gomez for playing so Well Agassi said after collecting $49,500 for his one hour Victory. He played too Well for me today Gomez said. I was very impressed by the Way he was hitting the Ball. He was very Quick and his ground strokes were All Over  Agassi said he was surprised by the Speed of the red Clay courts at the Start of the Nabisco grand prix event. I was t used to the Speed of the courts but i enjoyed playing Here said Agassi who was seeded second and did not drop a set during the week Long event. It was Good preparation for next weekend s Davis cup match against Argentina he said. Earlier in the Day Agassi edged 1984 Stuttgart Winner Henri Leconte of France 7-5, 7-5 in the rain delayed semifinals while Gomez ousted Guillermo Perez Roldan of Argentina 6-3, 6-1. The semifinals had to be rescheduled for sunday morning after heavy rain washed out saturday s program. Becker overcomes Connors Bremen West Germany a West German Tennis Star Boris Becker battled to a 7-6 7-22-6, r i \ i i a Mercedes cup Winner Andre Agassi of . Tunes up for Davis cup match 6-3 Victory Over Jimmy Connors sunday his Sec Ond exhibition Victory Over the american in 24  saturday in Munich Becker beat the Veteran Southpaw 7-5, 6-4 in 1 hour 41 minutes. But on sunday the two time Wimbledon Champion needed 2 hours and 12 minutes to overcome con nors stiff resistance. Becker used the two exhibition matches to pre pare for next weekend s Davis cup semifinal against Yugoslavia. Gardner wins 3rd straight Rijeka Yugoslavia up australian Honda rider Wayne Gardner notched his third successive Soock grand prix Victory when he won the yugoslavian title sunday. Frenchman Christian Sarron on a Yamaha was second and american Wayne Rainey also driving a Yamaha was third. Gardner the current world Champion started in the front Row and had secured the Lead before the first la was Over. Sarron started on pole position and Hung onto the Leader s wheel until the 17th Lap before Gard Ner opened the distance Between the two. American Eddie Lawson who has a commanding Lead in the Overall standings in the current season dislocated his shoulder at training saturday. Lawson raced but re fused to take risks. He finished 10th and added six championship Points to his already impressive tally. With four More races to go and 80 Points up for grabs Gardner May be Able to yet catch the californian. After the yugoslavian race sunday the Gap separating the two narrowed to 20 Points. However the reticent australian refused to speculate on the outcome. After Salzburg where Gardner s works Honda sized am just taking every race As it comes and trying to win As Many As possible he said. Gardner said he had decided to slow Down the Pace of the race in the Middle Section in the Hope of having something in Reserve to shake off the determined Chal Lenge of Sarron. Sarron said he had had a perfect race but knowing Gardner was faster was not prepared to risk overtaking. The 25occ class went to spaniard Sito Pons Riding Honda. His Yamaha Riding countryman Juan Gamma was second. Frenchman Dominique Sarron also Riding a Honda took third. The 250cc championship is the most closely contest Din the current season and world Champion Toni Mang of West Germany has described it As More brutal than Ever  the 39-year-old Mang s recent claim that the younger brigade of riders Are hungry for Victory and Are prepared to risk everything was further underlined when he was involved in a collision during a tussle for position on the first curve. The West German collided with briton Dori Nie Mcleod and was assisted from the track. Mang has broken his left c9llarbone and now Mustbe questionable for a Start at Ricard the French grand prix set for next weekend a team spokesman said after the race. Pons retains a four Point Lead Over Garriga in the championship standings with two members of the old guard Jacques Cornu of Switzerland and West German Reinhold Roth in third and fourth Slot. Mang s failure to finish drops him to sixth place in the standings. Italian takes tour s 14th stage Guzzet Neige France Massimo Girotto of Italy won the 14th stage of the tour de France sunday after France s Philippe Bou Vatier and Britain s Robert Millar took a wrong turn while leading the race less than 300 Yards from the finish. There was a policemen gesturing and i though he was gesturing to us Bou Vatier said about the incident. Near the end of the stage cars following the riders Are diverted by signs and policemen to allow the cyclists to continue on to the finish line alone. Bou Vatier and Millar were ahead of Girotto up the final Hill of the 101-mile leg from Blag nac to  had broken away from the pack Early and held about a 10-minute margin throughout the last 50 Miles. Approaching the finish Bou Vatier and Millar be came confused and followed a policemen s signal and some arrows straight on instead of making a left turn. Girotto made the Correct turn and went into the Lead and won. His time was four hours 30 minutes 34 seconds. In the Overall standings Pedro Delgado of Spain slightly lengthened his Lead. He placed 14th sunday. Injured Knees Force jets Mehl to retire Hempstead . A Lance Mehl the new York jets nine year Veteran linebacker said saturday he is retiring because of chronic pain in his surgically repaired Knees. I be been thinking about it for the last three months and decided it was the Best thing to do Mehl said at the team s training Camp at Hofstra University. I can t get rid of the pain in my  i m golfing i feel pain i can t imagine trying to cover somebody. Everybody plays with aches an pains but i have a knifing pain. It hurts too much for me to try. I Don t want to hang around and linger. I wanted to go out on my terms. I did t want them to Tell me hey we Don t want you Here anymore " Mehl a third round draft Choice from Penn Stalin 1980, quickly became a starter and led the team in tackles the following season. In 1982, he saved playoff win against the raiders with two interceptions in the last three minutes which he called the highlight of my  Mehl averaged 177 tackles a year the next three seasons and was selected to the 1985 pro bowl. He was the jets leading Tacker with 85 when he injured his right knee in a Freak play oct. 26, 1986,against new Orleans at giants stadium. As he pivoted to change direction his shoe caught in the artificial surface and the knee buckled. There was t a player within five Yards of him. Following reconstructive surgery Mehl spent the next 14 months in rehabilitation and was activated nov. 22, 1987. Three weeks later he sprained his left knee it required arthroscopic surgery and re injured his right  was a Strong sign from the Man upstairs said Mehl. It s one thing to get Hurt again a year or two Down the Road it s another to get Hurt again right  Back i never should be came Back. I have to think i d be More healthy. I have to believe the Way i feel now is directly related to getting Hurt  contemplated retirement last december but wanted to give it one More Chance and began another rehabilitation program. Broncos Hunley wants to ploy for cardinals Flagstaff Ariz. A the Denver Broncos have Given free agent linebacker Ricky Hunley Permis Sion to talk with other nil teams and the former University of Arizona standout says he would like to play for the Phoenix cardinals. I live Here in Arizona. Arizona is my Home state Hunley said saturday in a Telephone interview from his Home in Tucson near the Arizona Campus. It would be a great Opportunity for me to play in Arizona. I m used to the climate conditions. I think it would be an advantageous thing for  the 26-year-old Hunley was the seventh Overall selection of the 1984 College draft by the Cincinnati bengals. He was acquired by Denver Midway through the 1984 season in Exchange for two first round draft choices and started at inside linebacker for Denver for the past two seasons. However Hunley was the Broncos player representative in 1987 and walked the picket line in support of the players strike last season. The 6-foot-2, 238-Pound Hunley who earned $400,000 in the final year of his four year contract last season said Denver did not offer him a raise for 1988 and he has been unable to gain his unconditional release. The Broncos have never had a problem with Money before. All of a sudden i get a pay Cut and everybody else gets a pay raise Hunley said. They just want me out. It s Union related and  club Hunley said he is willing to play for any other nil in. If there s a Deal out there i la take it he said. An sports radio baseball san Francisco at Chicago cubs 10 . Monday