European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 2, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday april 2, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 27sports wire from wire reports san Antonio a Steffi Graf took a step toward regaining the top women a Tennis ranking on sunday with a 6-4, 6-3 Victory Over top ranked Monica Seles to claim the . Women a hard court championship title for the third time. A. It was grass first tournament Victory since november a Virginia slims of new England and her first Over Seles since 1989. Graf ranked no. 2 in the world had last met Seles in the 1990 French open finals which Seles won 7 6,64. Graf maintains a .4-2 career Lead Over Seles. Seles 17, ascended to the no. 1 world ranking on March 11 after grass record reign of 186 weeks. Because the . Women a hard court championships is Only a 32-player draw Graf will not overtake Seles in the computer rankings. Fernandez Sutkova win $75,000 Tarpon Springs Fla. A top seeded Gigi few Nan Doz and Helena Sutkova kept their composure in the $200,000 Light no Lively doubles championships in a bid that paid off to the tune of $75,000. Fernandez of puerto Rico and Sutkova of Czechoslovakia Down 5-1 in the third set sunday overcame soviets Natalia Zvereva and Larisa Savchenko 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 7-3. The top seeded team split a $75,000  surprises Hlasek i a Hong Kong be unseeded Wally Masur upset fourth seeded Jakob Hlasek 6-4, 7-6 8-6 monday in the first round of the Hong Kong open. Masur ranked 60th in the world required Only a single break to via the first set but then endured a tense second set tie break to put the 21st-ranked Hlasek out. Wild card entry Tommy to of Winter Haven Fla., upset eighth seeded Todd Woodbridge 6-4,6-2. Jets fire sex coach of year Winnipeg Manitoba a Bob Murdoch was fired monday As head coach of the Winnipeg jets after the team failed to make the nil playoffs for the second time in three years. A Murdoch was named the nil coach of the year in 1989-90 for turning around a dismal Winnipeg performance the previous season when the team also failed to make the playoffs. Murdoch 44, coached one season with inc Chicago Blackhawk in 1988-89 and before that spent five years As an assistant coach with the Calgary flames. He also played for 12 years As a defens eman with Montreal los Angeles Atlanta and Calgary. Mavs Tarpley charged a Dallas a a formal charge of driving while intoxicated was sent to the District attorneys office monday against Dallas Mavericks Star Roy Tarpley whose latest Brush with trouble could get him a prison term. Tarpley who incurred a season ending knee injury nov 9, is serving two years probation on a Dpi conviction in 1989. A county judge will decide whether to revoke Tarpley a probation. _ when Tarpley was put on probation sept. 5 after his first a i charge criminal court judge Mike Schwille warned that if Tarpley failed to meet the terms of his probation he would Send him to jail for one year. In 7kankkuneh gains on Sainz with i n Nairobi up a Finland a Julia Kankkunen won the Kenya safari rally on monday with a cumulative penalty time of 2 hours 7 minutes 10 seconds in his Lancia Delta integrate. Kankkunen finished ahead of Michael eries son of Sweden who piloted a Toyota celica gt4 to second place with a time of 2 33 34. A and Kankkunen Laid Down a Challenge to world Champion and current championship Leader Carlos Sainz of Spain who retired from the race sunday with a blown engine a to a Only 10 Points behind Carlos now a he warned. A the fight goes on.�?�. A Saiz has 40 Points this year after three rounds. Kankkunen has 28, actually 12 Points Down on the speeding spaniard contrary to his calculations. There Are 10 world championship rallies left in the season. A i have been waiting a Long time a said Kank Kunen who last won the safari rally in 1985. The six Days of gruelling driving Over 3,000 Miles were dominated by the factory teams of Toyota and Lancia who also Lead the manufacturers championships. Third place went to a Gentian a Jorge Recalde in the second Lancia on 2 46 13, with Veteran Bjorn Wal Degaard fourth in the second Toyota on 3 56 08. Miller nabs grand National race Hickory . A Butch Miller of Coopersville mich., held off Jimmy Hensley to win the Mountain Dew 500 Lascar Busch grand National series race sunday at Hickory motor Speedway. Miller in his first full season on the grand National circuit started 14th in the 36-car Field and did no to move into the Lead until Lap 210 of the 276-Lap race. Miller held off Hensley by one car length for a Victory Worth $11,501, his second career win in the , Chison Complete Trade Yuma Ariz. A the san Diego padres obtained pitchers Adam Peterson and Steve Rosenberg sunday from the Chicago White sox for infielders Joey Cora and Kevin Garner. The White sox also acquired minor league outfielder. Warren Newson in the  Deal Nixon to braves West Palm Beach Fla. A the Atlanta braves on monday obtained speedy outfielder Otis Nixon and a minor leaguer from the Montreal expos for Catcher Jimmy Kremers and a player to be named later. The braves also placed shortstop Andres Thomas on unconditional release waivers. The braves also received third baseman Boi Rodriguez from the expos. Rodriguez 24, hit .281 with nine homers and 58 rib in 105 games at class a Jacksonville last  la. Cagers top dunkers Indianapolis Carlos Funchess of Northeast Louisiana dazzled fans and beat teammate Anthony. Jones with a 360-degree Dunk to. Win the slam Dunk contest sunday held in conjunction with the Mcaa final four. A v it a Rodney Monroe of North Carolina state won the 3-Point shoot ing contest Over teammate Chris Corchiani. Jones led going into the final with 77.6 Points to 77.5 Points for Funchess. Each player had two attempts in the finals. 1college hockey All stars picked St. Paul Minn. A powerhouses Northern Piehi Gaii Lake Superior state Anil Maine placed two players each on the american hockey coaches association All american  Beattie and Brad Werenka. The nations highest scoring Forward and defend scan respectively represented Northern Michigan on the West squad. Goalie Darrin Madeley and Forward Jim Dowd were chose from Lake Supe rior St ate for the West team Klueh also included Michigan state defens eman Jason Woolley and North Dakota Forward 3 Reg Johnson. The East team included defens eman Keith Carney and Forward Jean Yves Roy both from Maine plus St. Lawrence goalie lev Kuntar Cornell Dafen semen Dan Ratushny Boston College Forward David Emma a Ltd. Boston University Forward Shawn Mceathern. Emma was the Only repeater from last year. Knauss takes super series Crown Steamboat Springs Colo. A austrian Bern hard Knauss added the super series Crown to his lengthy list of ski titles As the . Pro tour closed out its season on sunday Knauss clinched the super series title and a $100,000 Bonus despite falling in the round of eight of the final slalom of the season. / a Phil Marc won sundays slalom defeating Yugo Slavian Stoma. Cerkovnik in the final. Marc wrapped up the super series slalom title and a $25,000 Bonus by winning All three of the a cries slalom  flattens Cruz undefeated Rafael Ruelas of Van de Steve Cruz of fort Worth Texas Las vegas Guys Calif., stop57 seconds into the third round sunday to capture the North american boxing federation featherweight title Ruelas 25-0, knocked Cruz Down four times in the scheduled 12-round bout. Cruz is 35-6, a bequest ties 1 /4-mile turf Mark. Arcadia Calif. A bequest tied a world record for a Miles on turf in a two length Victory Over Noble and Nice in the $216,400 Santa Barbara Handicap at Santa Anita. The 5-year-old Mare went nine furlongs in 1 57 2-5 to match the course and world Mark set by double discount in 1977. Rome Marathon goes to italian Rome a Marco Milani of Italy won sundays Rome Marathon in 2 hours 14 minutes 22 seconds. _ John Makanda of Tanzania was second in 2 18 02 and Lucio Duna of Italy was third in 2 22 35.Gilbert s win advances . To from wire reports _ Mexico City a Brad Gilbert had always played supporting role on the United states Davis cup team. The 29-year-Otd californian finally got to play the hero As he beat an inspired Luis Herrera of Mexico 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. Sunday to give the defending champions an unbeatable 3-1 Lead and a spot in the quarterfinals against Spain in june. In the final snatch Leonardo Lavalle of Mexico Defeated Jim courier 4-6,7-6, 7-5. A i feel very satisfied to get the team to Victory a said Gilbert of the first time he had clinched a team Victory in a. Cup match career that started in 1986 and has seen him win nine of 12 matches. A a a the is such a Gutsy Guy a said of his replacement players Gorman after the 3-hour, 36-minute Battle at the German club. Filling in at the last moment is a familiar Davis cup scenario to Gilbert. Twice in the last two years he answered late Calls from Gorman and came through to buttress the team with winning efforts. A right now i feel my Best attribute is to help the team a Gilbert said a if they need me ill be  in notching his first five set cup Victory Gilbert played it Calm in shutting out the noisy fans and Cool in not getting disappointed in wasting 10 break Points in the final set. T�?�1 was pretty relaxed in the fifth set a Gilbert said. A i did no to do any fist pumping or anything to antagonize the crowd. I Felt that if i played Well and competed hard that in a a belter player then he is and that i should win that match nine out of 10 times.�?�. Yet Gilbert kept missing final set breakpoints chances to shut Down the upset Hopes of the Spunky no. 99-ranked Herrera in the second game Herrera saved five break Points with five winners. In the fourth game Rier Rera fought off two More break Points and in the eighth game the up and coming 19-year-old left hander saved three break Points. A i Felt like a 10-month baby i Felt so overdue a Gilbert said. After Herrera had fought Back to Deuce in the eighth game Gilbert cracked a backhand service return Winner for his huh break Point of the set. Finally Gilbert converted stepping into a forehand return that Herrera could not handle off the backhand Volley for a 5-3 Lead. In other matches Germany completed a 5-0 quarterfinal sweep of Argentina. Boris Becker downed Martin Jaite 6-1, 7-6 8-6 and Michael Stich beat Javier Frana Argentina 6-7 10-126-1, 6-1 in mondays reverse  Gilbert. Turns the tide