European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 16, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Ron Mckinney staff writer. Belgium is a Small country with rolling Green. Farm Fields stretching to idyllic medieval villages that Art among the Best preserved in Europe. Its natural resources include the Fertile land natural Waterways and Coal. But certainly not Tennis players Belgium s highest ranking male player was. Bernard Boileau who was no. 71 in 1983. Six years later Sandra Wasserman reached no. 58 in women s rankings. A spokesman for the belgian Tennis federation in t even sure about his nation s grand slam record Quot there s not very much to say about that Quot he said. Quot surely a belgian reached a third round or something but not More than . Indeed.,. A. Enter schoolgirl Sabine appelmans who in 1990 shot up the women s rankings More than 100 positions to no. 22 in the world. Appelmans a Chubby cheeked teen Ager reached the fourth round of the 1991 australian open after suffering third round defeats at last year s . And australian opens. An attractive Brown eyed Brunette appelmans is easily recognized by colourful bandannas that keep her shoulder length hair in place. On the women s tour appelmans is gaining a reputation As a heavy hitter from the Baseline. The 5-foot-5, 1 20-Pound belgian likens her High. Performance two handed backhand to germans taking the fast Lane on the autobahn. Quot i like to play a Tew balls not very fast Good rhythm but not that fast and then accelerate Quot appelmans said during an interview at her Parent s red Brick two Story Home in Erembo Egem a Small town about 15 Miles West of Brussels. A Quot Bho just Bangs it said no. 5 Mary of. A Fernant Lez who escaped with a third set win against appelmans in the porsche grand prix at. Filters tall Germany last october. Quot i try not to Lei her set up either her forehand or backhand because she really whacks both of them. If she hit every Ball in she d be no. I Quot. Fernandez said. A appelmans 18, grooved those punishing ground strokes at the National Tennis Center just North of Antwerp. When she was 11, she began living with a select group of Junior players at the Center a 45-minute drive trom her Parent s Home those seven years away from her parents. Glint and Lisette and her brother Didier 14, made the transition a struggle when she returned to living at a Home last year  graduating from the Bercheny Royal High  it was a Tittle bit difficult Lor me to live in a a. Family again. Sometimes i think i Don t say As Many things to my parents As other kids. Because i m not used to it Quot appelmans said. But it was just a Mailer of time Tor the family to a a gel. To know each other again it s much better now we both had to get. Used to it Quot she said. Now appelmans appears to he your typical teen Ager t Ier bedrooms decorated with photos of Tom cruise and Mel Gibson and a giant Esprit poster. The room holds numerous paperbacks trom authors including Danielle steel and Sidney a Sheldon. A Teddy Bear a gift from her no.  �1 fan Gianni Maes a belgian soccer player a rests on her bed. But there is one big difference one stand and the top of a clothes closet Are covered with Tennis trophies. / ,. Appelmans started 1 990 ranked 149, the third Host belgian behind Wasserman no. F�9 anti Ann As no. 78 in 1988. Then the speedy Southpaw went on an Eastern hemisphere tear winning 11 of 15 matches As she reached the semifinals at the Singapore open and the Fern Leaf classic at Wellington new zealand. At Auckland new zealand she blew away the 18th-ranked woman in the world Belinda Cor Deelii 6-1, 6-2 in route to reaching her first women s Tennis association final a which she lost. Despite her phenomenal Success last Spring she returned to Belgium to finish her final semester of education. Quot it was a difficult year. It was like i was Between two worlds Quot appelmans said. Quot in the school world. Did t feel at Home because i was not there very often. And when i played tournaments. I was Only the student. I was not really a professional Tennis player. So i did t feel at Home there  was also skipped last year so appelmans could concentrate on her final exams Quot everyone was surprised that i did this. Devries and Wasserman stopped going to school when they were 14, they could t handle it anymore Quot appelmans said. A during  years appelmans. Remained relatively Anonymous while Wasserman / arid Devries garnered the belgian headlines. Appelmans read from a dated article in a local Tennis Magazine Quot three Young ladies belgian. Girls a. Ann Devries Sandra Wasserman and Sabine appelmans. They always say my name a last. Iwas number three  but appelmans remarkable Rise up the ranks a coupled with her compatriots declines a a. Wasserman to no. 184, Devries to no. 211 a now gives her Star Billing in Belgium. Quot so now they say a Sabine appelmans and the other two Quot she said laughing. A even one of her two coaches Stephen Marten. Was surprised by appelmans remarkable Progress last year. A a. A a. A a a Quot if you would have asked me How tar she could go one year ago i probably would not have dared. To say that she would be no 25 at the end of 1990,&Quot Marten said. Marten said there s still room for Progress a and thai Points in the direction of the world s top 10. ,. Appelmans plans to play 10 More years on the circuit. Quot then i la marry  children. How romantic she said laughing. \ but that does t mean appelmans is looking for an Andre Agassi to form a Ove doubles team. She d rather  someone outside of Tennis. Quot i think i d prefer to marry somebody who has no idea about the sport so we can talk about other things. When you., spend Twenty years of your life playing Tennis you want to talk about other. Things after you re done Quot she said. A members of the women s Tennis association Are playing in the $500,000 Lufthansa cup tournament this week atthe rot Weiss club in Berlin. Center court tickets Are sold out but general admission is available for the outside courts today and Friday for 25 Marks. For a details Call 030-8262207. A other professional women a tournaments in Europe through the end of july include Geneva european open at Geneva Switzerland. May 20-26 International de Strasbourg at Strasbourg France. May 20-26 French open at Paris. May 27-june 9 Dow classic at Birmingham England june 10-16 Pilkngton Glass championship s at Eastbourne England june 17-23 Wimbledon championships at Wimbledon England june24 july 7 Torneo internationale in Palermo Italy july 8-14 austrian ladies open kit Buhel july i 5-21 san Marino open san Marino july 15-21. A belgian teen hitting her Way toward the top Devries no. 142who had been ranked As High 6 stripes Magazine May 16, 1991