Family ties
Graf reconciles with father
Posted: Tuesday January 19, 1999 06:59 PM
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Graf's father who was released from prision in April 1998, will watch Steffi play at the Australian Open |
HAMBURG, Germany (AP) -- Steffi Graf has reconciled with her father, and he plans to watch her play at the Australian Open, Stern magazine reported Tuesday.
Peter Graf was released from prison nine months ago after being convicted on tax evasion charges.
Graf managed his daughter's career during her rise to the No. 1 ranking and he handled her earnings from her 20 Grand Slam titles.
"The only complaint I have after all this was the lack of communication," Stern quoted Steffi Graf as saying. "All he had to say was 'I can't keep up with it anymore.' "
Steffi Graf has since hired a professional manager, and her father won't be taking over his old job, Stern said.
Peter Graf, 59, was sentenced in January 1997 to three years, nine months for evading taxes on $6.55 million of his daughter's tennis earnings. He was released in April 1998 after serving more than half the sentence, counting pretrial custody.
The last time he was at one his daughter's tournaments was at Wimbledon, shortly before he was arrested on Aug. 2, 1995. The Australian Open began Monday, and his daughter is seeded 10th.
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