| | MELBOURNE, Australia -- The host broadcaster for the
Australian Open apparently has failed in its attempts to entice
four-time winner Steffi Graf into the commentary box.
Channel Seven television invited Graf, who arrived in Melbourne
to cheer on her boyfriend, top-ranked Andre Agassi, to be a guest
commentator.
The retired German star's management considered the proposal,
but has not given a definitive response.
"The event is now up and running, so I'm not that hopeful,"
said Gordon Bennett, head of Melbourne sports for Channel Seven,
who in the past has hired the likes of John McEnroe to commentate
at the 1998 Open.
Signing off
Eager autograph hunters had no chance of getting
Steffi Graf's signature while she was concentrating on watching
Andre Agassi in action on center court.
After being besieged by a pack of enthusiastic teen-agers, the
former world No. 1 was provided with a security team comprised of
two burley security guards flanking her seats. And that was in
addition to a usual bunch of minders including Agassi's strength
coach Gil Reyes.
Mirror image
John McEnroe sees himself in Lleyton Hewitt, the
18-year-old brash Australian who has won four titles and has won 10
straight matches this year.
"I like this Aussie kid. I'm keeping an eye on him. He's got
attitude, the kind you need if you're going to go to the very
top," McEnroe wrote in a newspaper column.
Hewitt has yet to match the fabled on-court tirades of McEnroe,
but he's not averse to tactless remarks now and then, such as a
recent comment about the stupidity of Australian crowds.
"He's got a lot of fire and he reminds me of myself," The
Melbourne Age newspaper quoted McEnroe as saying. "Now that can't
be a bad thing, can it?"
Capriati connects
Jennifer Capriati's tennis comeback has led to an endorsement deal with TSR Wireless, a leading American paging and wireless messaging company.
The company said Tuesday that throughout 2000, Capriati will
make appearances in U.S. cities to promote its business, and in
competition will wear a patch for the company's e-commerce Web
site.
Capriati, 23, defeated Steffi Graf for the Olympic gold medal in
1992. But personal problems led her to drop out of the tour from
late 1993 until 1996.
Since the end of 1998, her ranking has climbed from 92nd to its
current level of 21st, and she began the Australian Open with a
6-1, 7-6 (1) victory over Austria's Barbara Schwartz.
In 1990, at age 14, Capriati became the youngest player to win a
match in Wimbledon history and the youngest ever to be ranked in
the top 10.
"She is representative of the young American market, a growing
segment of our business, and certainly one of tennis' most
exciting, talented and recognizable stars," TSR Wireless chief
executive officer Mitch Sacks said.
Phone drone
Please switch all cell phones off -- and that
means you. While fans are reminded to turn off their portable
telephones as a courtesy to the players, it seems someone forget to
inform the players of the etiquette.
During a tough five-set tussle between Aussie Mark Philippoussis
and Noam Okun, the Israeli had to rush from the court to switch off
a phone which was ringing in his bag.
But Philippoussis, who salvaged a 6-4, 6-2, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2
victory against the No.186-ranked Okun, was full of understanding.
"I can't complain because that has happened to me,"
Philippoussis said. | |
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