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French Open Notebook

Graf teams up with McEnroe for Wimbledon

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Posted: Sunday June 06, 1999 04:03 PM

Andrei Medvedev was ranked No. 100 at the start of the French Open but after making it to the fnal his ranking will be in the twenties by next week. AP

PARIS (AP) -- Steffi Graf will team up with John McEnroe to play mixed doubles at Wimbledon. The pair will get a wild card form the All England Club.

"John asked me and I said yes," Graf said after winning the French Open on Saturday. "I had to promise him that I would give it my all."

Steffi Graf will turn 30 on June 14 and 40-year-old McEnroe, who won the mixed doubles here in 1977 and now works as a commentator for NBC television, plays on the seniors tour.

Familiar clothing

In honor of the four musketeers who brought France its first Davis Cup victory, officials for Sunday's final dressed in identical outfits to those Rene Lacoste wore on the tennis court.

Along with Jean Brorotra, Jacques Brugnon and Henri Cochet, Lacoste helped bring the cup to France back in 1927.

For the men's final, the umpire and linesmen were all outfitted by the Lacoste clothing company, run by Lacoste's son Bernard.

The Roland Garros stadium has a special relationship with the musketeers as it was built in 1928 to host the team's defense of the trophy.

All bets are on

Andrei Medvedev may have lost the final Sunday but he won 100 German marks ($55) just the same. The Ukrainian made a bet with some of his German friends that he would be back in the top fifty by the end of the year.

Medvedev was ranked No. 100 at the start of the French Open but after making it to the fnal his ranking will be in the twenties by next week. Medvedev joked about his bet paying off.

"I should try another bet and try to get to the top twenty," he said.

On his strategy of trying to make it in the op 10, Medvedev referred again to his girlfriend Anke Huber and his improvement since his new found love.

"Looks like I just have to stick to Anke and make sure she doesn't leave me," he said. "Then I will be fine."

Talentless Agassi?

After winning the French Open and a career Grand Slam on Sunday, Andre Agassi confided that he thought he didn't have many other talents.

"I have no rhythm whatsoever, no musical ability, no ear for language. I have very few talents," said a modest Agassi. "I can't even stand up on roller skates."

Ones to watch

Names to remember for the future: Lourdes Doinguez Lino of Spain and Guillermo Coria of Argentina. They respectively won the girls and boys singles final of the French Open.

Dominguez Lino beat France's hope for the future, Stephanie Foretz, 6-4, 6-4. On the boy's side it was an all Argentine final when Coria ousted David Nalbandian 6-4, 6-3.

Past winners of the French Open junior tournaments have gone on to do well.

In the 1990s, the winners have included Sundays men's finalist Andrei Medvedev and on the women's side Australian Open winner Martina Hingis and runner-up Amelie Mauresmo.

In the past, eight players have won both junior and senior singles titles at Roland Garros, including Ivan Lendl and Mats Wilander.

 

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