| Show vuvc fJ J'1 ft Wf 7 : I : V — f"i ' WWV'yV jf'- r — BY Persfiut ImJimM IMB in Nfidil Single Career at OenOetW Turned pro ranked No 1 in womaris tennie 1997 youngest i In French Open defeating Martina Navratilova (QraTa firat Grand Slam title) MT Won gold model In ainglea at Olympics Slam wlnac NSSNN HIS WAS TWO DAYS before the start of Wimbledon and the defending champ and woman tennis player in the world Stem Graf was not feeling too great She’d flown in to London earlier that day with a bad left knee “It’s better” she said without great enthusiasm when I called “I played today for the second time in lOdaysButit'a dfflScuk to pfaqr Wimbledon an aniy two days of practice Yesterday I didn't think it was possible But I’ve done a lot of crazy things” She sure has Despite the knee and a head cold Steffi won again her seventh Wimbledon ami in so doing delighted the usually staid crowd when a male spectator shouted ‘1 want to many you Steffi!” With a stand-u- p comic's timing a blushing but grinning Graf waited a brief moment before she yelled buck “How much money do you have?” The center top-rank- ed risks of racing As Mm toM The Mow York Im Tm net afraid S?4 mr: Aif iSfc-- “TNB ii'- -' She knew the Tvr- - Ayrton Sanaa - iv A f epY fvyU'Y Moritz for a photo shoot she and some pals decided to do a little skiing Steffi can same court-- ” And the US Open? ski But so distracted was she by Is New York a pleasant stop on the paparazzi that she tried to put the tour? “Pleasant? I love it!” on her skis on a patch of ice and 1093 IMS e She lives in Germany fell breaking a bone in her hand (her where she was born in Boca Ra“I didn't want the paparazzi lOOthi to know 1 was hurt” she told me ainglea title) ton Fla and in New York “in US Open an old downtown near “so I went skiing for half an hoir W88W80 Soho”building she said The only trouand it hurt so much I had to quiL” 1993 100S ble— there's And Steffi doesn't quit often as one door so the just Only female anyone knows ifihey watched her paparazzi can alwaysget me” But generally Steffi said she marathon win over Arantza Son-Hat of 40 highaat-pal- d can hang out in New York withchez Vicario in Paris this spring athlete out being recognized or pestered — the longest women's finals That isn t always true in Europe match ever at the French Open Several yean ago while in Sl Steffi got started in tennis at 4 cross-count- Her mother and father were both players and cut down the handle of an adult racket to fit the little girl She's 5 feet 9 and 132 pounds these (' tennis i lete “but just for training When I was younger I ran the 800 meters in races I used to play basketball and they say I was okay” With boys or girls? “Oh with boys” what about David Letterman? 1 was terribly nervous" she said “I didn't want to go on his show for seven yean I love David but I know what he can do to people I’m too quiet But it was fine'H ry snsta part-tim- ICSJIsKI Knl m - - Brffltwllfwt RSUf E7 U wtwdiodlna crash two years ago and already a half-forgot- "That to mo la scarier than dying” aha said Steffi's iaHoinz r court audience stood and cheered “Wimbledon is my favorite" said Steffi “When I was little I used to watch on TV—Connors and John McEnroe and Borg— and then for me to be here on the ' r’rSiTi-sf- (8TI t8 iSStSSj - kjw bCS laakod what a a top player Most of all ho realizes my oxptaiMda "Ha knows flow IfasLHs's extremely halpful to ma and a strength Ohvloualy ho knows whan topuahmaand whan to 4 vje 9 |
