Sporting Digest: Tennis

RICHARD KRAJICEK, whose career was threatened by injury this year, predicted he would regain his position in the world's top 10 after reaching the quarter-finals at the Australian Indoor Championships yesterday. The 23-year-old Dutchman, who slipped down the rankings when he left the tour for five months to recover from a serious knee injury, swept past New Zealand's Brett Steven 7-5, 6-3.

AUSTRALIAN INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (Sydney) Men's singles first round: N Kulti (Swe) bt J Grabb (US) 6-4 6-4; T Woodbridge (Aus) bt J Stoltenberg (Aus)

7-5 6-4; M Woodforde (Aus) bt P Haarhuis (Neth) 6-2 6-3; J Eltingh (Neth) bt D Wheaton (US) 7-6 7-6. Second round: R Krajicek (Neth) bt B Steven (NZ) 7-5 6-3; B Becker (Ger) bt S Bryan (US) 6-4 1-6 6-0.

TOULOUSE INDOOR MEN'S TOURNAMENT First round: A Mronz (Ger) bt J Bjorkman (Swe) 2-6 6-3 6-4; B Karbacher (Ger) bt P McEnroe (US) 6-2 7-5; D Vacek (Cz Rep) bt P Gauthier (Fr) 6-3 6-4; G Forget (Fr) bt A Medvedev (Ukr) 6-3 6-3. Second round: J Palmer (US) bt J Hlasek (Swit) 6-2 6-1; M Larsson (Swe) bt L Mattar (Bra) 7-5 6-4; O Delaitre (Fr) bt M Rosset (Swit) 6-1 5-7 6-2.

ATHENS ATP TOURNAMENT Second round: A Berasategui (Sp) bt M Rios (Chile) 6-2 6-7 6-3; J Sanchez (Sp) bt V Spadea (US) 6-2 6-1; M Ondruska (SA) bt K Kucera (Slovak) 2-6 6-3 6-4; F Clavet (Sp) bt G Markus (Arg) 6-4 5-7 7-5. Doubles, first round: (selected): C Brandi (It) and F Mordegan (It) bt P Cash (Aus) and G Dzelde (Lat) 6-2 6-4.

VIDAL SASSOON IRISH OPEN (Dublin) Second round: M Damm (Cz Rep) bt M Barnard (SA) 6-3 6-3; C Caratti (It) bt P Wekesa (Ken) 7-6 6-4; D Sapsford (GB) bt F Wibier (Neth) 6-4 7-6; C Wilkinson (GB) bt P Kuhnen (Ger) 6-3 2-6 6-2; A Thoms (Ger) bt (5) C-U Steeb (Ger) 6-3 6-7 7-6; R Vasek (Cz Rep) bt S Simian (Fr) 7-6 6-3; H-J Davids (Neth) bt J Winnink (Neth) 6-2 6-3.

EUROPEAN INDOOR WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIPS (Zurich) First round: E Majoli (Croa) bt K Radford (Aus) 6-2 6-1; M Oremans (Neth) bt C Vis (Neth) 6-3 7-6; M Pierce (Fr) bt L Neiland (Lat) 6-3 6-3. Second round: M Maleeva (Bul) bt M Werdel (US) 6-3 3-1 ret; N Zvereva (Bela) bt E Makarova (Rus) 4-6 6-2 6-1; M Navratilova (US) bt M McGrath (US) 7-6 6-3; L McNeil (US) bt L Raymond (US) 6-1 6-2.

LTA AUTUMN SATELLITE (Nottingham) Men's singles second round: A Pretzsch (Ger) bt G Henderson (GB) 6-4 6-4; D Skoch (Cz Rep) bt D Ward (GB) 6-1 6-2; P Pala (Cz Rep) bt P Hand (GB) 3-6 6-4 7-6; C Schaffkes (Ger) bt M Maclagan (GB) 5-7 6-2 6-3; N Gould (GB) bt J Davidson (GB) 6-3 6-1; R Wassen (Neth) bt L Milligan (GB) 6-3 6-4; B Cowan (GB) bt N Weal (GB) 6-4 6-1; G Oresic (Croa) bt D Sanders (GB) 2-6 7-6 6-4. Women's singles first round: I Tasech (Fr) bt K Ptasek (Den) 6-2 6-4; G De Natale (It) bt K Hand (GB) 6-2 6-4; T Carsten (Ger) bt M Lamarre (Fr) 6-4 6-2; E Bond (GB) bt C Herbert (GB) 6-4 6-2. Second round: J Ward (GB) bt K Roubanova (GB) 4-6 6-2 6-0; L Ahl (GB) bt S Olsen (Den) 6-7 6-2 6-3; F Lishman (GB) bt J Dawson (GB) 7-5 6-0; A Sidot (Ger) bt O bt O Barabanschikova (Bela) 6-4 6-3.