European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 3, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday october 3, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 25racing Roundup can proof win it with 2 to go just As in 1989, the Battle for this years world driving championship is heading Down to the wire a and with the same protagonists. Going into last years japanese grand prix it was again Prost who led Ayrton Senna. Now the situation is reversed with the brazilian Senna leading the Frenchman Prost but not by much. # _ the championship was decided in Japan last year when Prost and Senna collided in their Mclaren Honda cars Senna going on to win but then being disqualified for using an illegal Section of the track. When the dust settled Prost had won his third world title. As things stand at the moment Senna is in a Good position to capture his second world championship in the oct. 21 japanese grand prix at Suzuka but who would bet against Prost pushing it Down to the final round in Australia and perhaps even winning All the marbles at the moment with the Ferrari cars appearing Superior to the Mclaren hondas it could Well be another Prost year. A a a Prost might have won in Portugal if his British teammate Nigel Mansell had not ruined the Start and Prost was bitter about that race in which he finished third. He severely criticized the Ferrari management for not working toward a a Prost win in Portugal and rightly so. After All the world championship is at stake and Mansell who won in Portugal had a total of Only 16 Points going into that race. But the Ferrari situation had cooled Down last weekend and Prost went on to score an impressive Victory in the Spanish grand prix. Mansell meanwhile who has announced that he is skipping retirement to join the Williams team next season took second in Spain for a Ferrari one two. Following his Spanish Victory the defending Champion Prost told reporters in a Post race press conference a after the problems last week in Portugal it was very important to win Here today. We have done a very Good race and i emphasize a we because we had a Good team race a the Diri a a a myself. Myers the mechanics my car a anything is possible a he added. A last week i was trailing by 18 Points and i did no to think i had a Chance. Now if we do the same Type of work for the team and Drivers the Only thing i can say is maybe maybe. But it will be very difficult. A for sure we will go there to Japan and aim to win again a Prost said. A for sure the most important move is to get the pole position. If i could Lead the first Lap of the races Japan and Australia would Randy Barnett Alain Prost Aims to win Nigel Mansell. Joins Williams say i have a very Good Chance to be world  a a while the Ferrari team celebrated in Spain there was no Joy in the Mclaren Honda Camp As neither Senna nor his teammate Gerhard Berger of Austria finished the race. Senna dropped out with a holed Radiator after leading in the Early stages and Berger crashed out after colliding with the Williams Renault driven by Belgium a Thierry Boutsen. It was the first time this season that a Mclaren Honda car has failed to score Points and that says a lot for the Mclaren Honda operation. Ferrari meanwhile has failed to score three times in the 14 races run so far. Not bad either by any Means. With Senna drawing a Blank in the Spanish grand prix Prost made a big inroad in the Points department but Senna still leads 78 to 69 going into the penultimate round in Japan. If Senna wins there he will be the 1990 world driving Champion. But during the portuguese and Spanish rounds it was obvious that the Ferrari cars were quicker than the Mclaren hondas in the High Speed Corners and that these relatively tight circuits favor Ferrari. Both the Suzuka and Adelaide circuits Are fairly tight As Well and the ferraris May once again have the advantage there. So it May be close and if Prost can win the pole in Japan As he Hopes he will probably win the race As Quot a australian grand prix at Adelaide on Well. Then the nov. 4 will decide it ally a a before leaving the formula one scene it should be noted that Senna a pole position in Spain last weekend was the 50th of his career an amazing achievement. He has scored his 50 pole positions in 108 grand prix races. In Driver changes for 1991, the englishman Mansell As noted earlier is skipping his retirement plans to drive for Williams next season. Belgium a Thierry Boutsen meanwhile is leaving the Williams team and has signed a contract to drive for the French Ligier outfit during 1991 and �?T92. Mansell who announced his plans to retire from racing at the British grand prix in july revealed monday that he has agreed to return to the Williams team next season. A Winner of 16 grand prix races during his 11-year career Mansell drove for the Williams team until he moved to Ferrari at the beginning of the 1989 season. He won 13 races in his four seasons with Williams and just missed the world driving championship in 1986 when a tire blew out in the final race of the season in Australia. Williams team Boss Frank Williams says that Ric Cardo Patrese of Italy will remain on the team and partner Mansell next  a a As the racing season draws to a close in Europe there is one major event remaining the final round in the German touring car championship. This is one of the most popular racing series in Europe and five Drivers have a shot at the Crown going into the Bockenheim finale oct. 14. Leading for the 1990 Crown is Johnny accotto of Venezuela Schnitzer Bow m3while the other four Drivers with a Chance Are Hans stuck of Germany Schmidt Audi Kurt Thiim of Denmark am Mercedes Steve Soper of England Bigazzi Bow m3 and Klaus Ludwig of Germany am Mer cedes. The race the 11th in the 1990 series will be run in two 15-Lap sections of 100 Kilometres 62 Miles each with each race Worth 20 Points. And with five Drivers contending for the title excitement should not be lacking. The three Day program at Bockenheim on oct. 14 will also feature the final round in the German formula 3 championship and the final race in the International opel Lotus Challenge series these races to see racing on Page 27 Melville s dream comes True Scott Melville beats Noah in Basel by Ron Mckinney staff writer Basel Switzerland a american Tennis pro Scott Melville looked a Little dazed after narrowly edging Yannick Noah 7-6 9-76-7 5-76-4 Friday to reach the semifinals of the Swiss indoors. He called the win a dream. For that night Melville had conquered the dream of stardom. He had dethroned a former grand slam Champion. But rather than basking in the limelight Melville Shook his head in wonder and his smile was one of amazement. A a it a easy to daydream when you re playing a Guy like that a Melville said. A you Start thinking you know i can to wait until i jump the net and shake his hand. A off and on Little things would creep into my mind and id have to Chase them off. As soon As you Start thinking like that you re history. You can to concentrate on the Job at hand a he said. Melville concentrated on this Job from the very beginning a earning his Way into the main draw through the qualifying rounds. Then after disposing of Frank Dennhardt and 52nd-ranked Jean Phi Ippe Leurian in the first two rounds Melville met the greatest Challenge of his two year pro career. Namely Yannick Noah. Noah the 1983 French open Champion ranked 45th in the world is fighting his Way out of a six month slump. Noah said he was pleased with the Way he played against Melville. A i was there mentally a i just lost to a Guy who played some great Tennis a Noah said. A the definitely is a Good  and until the european crowd began rhythmically clapping to rally Noah during the second set tiebreaker it looked like another Day at the Beach for the san Marino Calif., native. Amid the cacophony Melville approached the chair Umpire shrugged his shoulders and asked a is it Normal that people clap like that a the Umpire assured him that it was a and should have included a warm Welcome to european Tennis As Well. A it was the first time for me having something like that happen. I done to know How Many people were Here but it was pretty loud a Melville said. Just not loud enough to snap Melville out of his dreamlike Tennis playing. Melville showed no signs of losing his composure. It was just a matter of hammering his serve and pressing Noah with Crisp volleys deep in the Corners. Largely considered a doubles phenom the 24-year-old Melville leaped in at rankings from 322nd on sept. 24 to 186th after the Basel tournament. Prior to the Swiss indoors Melville had scored Only one win on the challenger series circuit this year. That was against David Lewis at Aptos Calif. The second round loss came at the hands of Alexander Vronz. Mere midgets compared to the giants of the game such As Noah and John Mcenroe whom Melville faced in the semifinals. The soft spoken Melville a 1987 Mcaa doubles Champ with Rick Leach from Southern Cal May be making a spectacular move up the at rankings if the Swiss indoors is any indication of his future. Basel was the first leg of a six week Jaunt through the european fall indoor season a playing on a carpet surface that favors Melville a big serve and volleys. Earlier this year at new Haven conn., Melville won his first at doubles title with Jeff Brown a beating Goran Ivanisevic and Petr Korda in the finals. Even before beating Noah Melville always believed he could Trade volleys with the big boys of the at tour. A i definitely know i can play with them and i know i can play that level of Tennis. The question is whether i can play that Well on a regular basis a Melville said. John Mcenroe rudely awakened Melville from his dream saturday a but not until after Melville extended Mcenroe to three sets