European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 28, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Army air Force sports teams will compete for same titles by . Allbright staff writer at last they re coming together. After competing separately for dec Ades air Force Community level teams will Combine with the army leagues in March starting with the soccer arid volleyball seasons. Sports teams will be competing for . Forces championships instead of separate army and air Force championships. They will continue to carry the banners of military communities. This is going to Benefit the air Force because we re getting smaller said Tom Burkett the Safe sports director. We be had to change our program based on numbers and funding. We have to treasure every Dollar we can spend to wards sports. Currently 32 army communities participate in three leagues Region i fron tier Region ii Riemland Pfalz and re Gion ill bavarian. Eleven air Force basketball teams Par Byro Gloster Melbourne Australia a sur prise Surprise. Steffi Graf is in another grand slam final. Graf seeking her fourth australian open title in seven years overpowered Kimiko Date 6-3, 6-3 today to set up a championship match against Arantha australian open Sanchez Vicario who won 6-1, 6-2 Over Gabriela Sabatini. It took slightly More than two hours total for the top seeded Graf and no. 2 Sanchez Vicario to win their semifinal matches. The men s semifinals Friday will pit Pete Sampras against Jim courier and Stefan Edberg against Todd Martin. It is the first time since 1982 that three american men Are in the semifinals of the australian open. Graf will be play ing saturday in her fifth consecutive grand slam tournament final and 22nd Overall. Either Graf or Monica Seles has been in 27 Graf of the last 28 grand slam finals. Graf won the australian open title in 1988, 1989 and 1990. The last three years it was won by Seles who has not played since she was stabbed in the Back during a match in Germany on april 30. Graf overwhelming Date at times with powerful forehand and serves won the first nine Points and quickly opened a 5-1 Lead. She finished the first set in 31 min utes then broke Date s serve in the opening and closing games of the second set to Complete the match in 61 minutes. I think it was a match where we both did t have a lot of rhythm. She went for a lot of shots and she made a lot of them Graf said. I expected today a tougher match than it ended  Date seeded 10th, was the first Japa Nese player to reach a semifinal of a Granof slam tournament since 1973. Steffi hits the Ball harder and faster see Page 38 for army air Force standings tic Pate in the Continental sports con Ference and the United kingdom sports conference. Starting in March air Force teams will play regular season games within the Var ious regions with army units. For Post season play air Force teams will make up a fourth Region. Four regional championship tourneys will determine who competes for the the . Forces title. The top two teams from each Region will compete for the . Forces Crown said Greg Holzinger the Deputy chairman of the army european sports Council and 104th area support group sports director. United kingdom and Italy teams will continue to be in their own leagues. They will qualify for the . Forces championship through Region in Holzinger said. In March a roster of teams that will make up each Region will be released according to Holzinger. Many athletes will be looking Forward to Intra service Competition Holzinger said. This will enable the air Force to continue to keep the Quality of their programs High Holzinger said. We have to be Able to maintain a level of Competition where athletes can Advance to the All army or All air Force Levels Hulzinger said. Service members in Europe make up about a Quarter of the service teams world wide according to Holzinger. All three sports directors agreed that a healthy sports program is Good for both the service members and the commands. It gives our athletes an outlet to put their energies into. This is an alternative to alcohol and drug abuse and allowing for Esprit Des corps within the Home stations.," Joe butry chairman of the army euro Pean sports Council said. You rarely see an athlete being Dis the stars and stripes january 28,1994 Page 40 charged for not being fit. No matter what service the athlete belongs to the emphasis is on health and fitness Burkett said. What s ahead for the tackle football this year Burkett said football is still being Dis cussed and no decision has been made. Meets final .tf5afij Gabriela Sabatini left congratulates Arantha Sanchez Vicario after losing semifinal match to Sanchez Vicario thursday. Than anyone else. I just was t Able to play my own game Date said. Steffi at tacked and played with great Pace. I did not play to even 50 percent of my Capa  Sanchez Vicario who had lost in the semifinals the last three years finished off fourth seeded Sabatini in 65 minutes to reach her first australian open final. Sabatini was still weak from an illness she suffered earlier this week and it showed in her play some of her first serves were As slow As 56 Mph. I have to say it was not Good Tennis at All Sanchez Vicario said. It was  Graf has a 21-5 record against Sanchez Vicario. But the last time Graf lost in a grand slam tournament to anyone other than Seles was to Sanchez Vicario she s beatable Sanchez Vicario said of Graf. She s human she s not a a  the men s semifinals will feature the first meeting Between courier and Sam Pras since last summer s Wimbledon final won by Sampras in four sets. Sam Pras holds an 8-2 advantage Over courier. The top seeded Sampras is trying to become the third Man Ever to win Wimb Ledon the . Open and the australian open consecutively. The last time it was accomplished was by Roy Emerson in 1964-65 the first time was by Don Budgin 1937-38. Courier seeded third is trying to be come the first Man to win three austra Lian open titles in a Row since Emerson won five straight from 1963-67. 0"246850"000504