TENNIS: Bruguera pulls out of Wimbledon

The Spanish pair Sergi Bruguera and Alberto Berasategui have withdrawn from the Wimbledon Championships, which begin on Monday.

Both Bruguera, the No 8 seed, and Berasategui will be asked to undergo medical examinations to confirm their injury claims.

Bruguera, twice winner of the French Open, was scheduled for a first- round match against Anders Jarryd, who will now meet Thomas Enqvist in an all-Swedish confrontation.

The lucky loser entries are Scott Draper of Australia and Spain's Emilio Alvarez, who will meet Boris Becker in the first round.

Becker himself is in Germany receiving treatment for a calf strain while the women's top seed, Steffi Graf, pulled out of Fred Perry's memorial service in London yestrday for treatment in Germany to her right wrist.

The injury is not thought to be serious and is unlikely to prevent Graf trying to capture a sixth Wimbledon singles crown.

But there is better news of Andre Agassi, who has been suffering from hip trouble sustained in the French Open.

The world No 1 flew into London yesterdayand declared himself fully fit for the championships.

The top seed has been in the United States receiving treatment for a hip muscle injury which he sustained during the recent French Open in Paris.

"The injury is great now and I am fully fit," said the American as he arrived at Heathrow Airport from San Francisco.

"I have managed to play a bit on grass so I am looking forward to the championships."

Jimmy Connors moved into his first ATP tour quarter-finals in four years, defeating Martin Sinner yesterday in the Gerry Weber ATP tournament in Halle. Connors, needed more than an hour to win the first set 7-6 in a tie-breaker, then wrapped up the match in an hour and 25 minutes with a 6-0 second set.

The 42-year-old Connors, who only won one match on the ATP tour last year, had the sold-out crowd of nearly 10,000 applauding on almost every shot, even though his opponent was German. "I'm happy to be able to come here to play, and to play at the level that I am. I always prefer to have the crowd on my side," Connors said. "I'm happy playing just a couple of tournaments a year. I have more time for my family," he said.