Tennis: Graf comes through another crisis: Sabatini puts best cards on table only to be trumped by Berlin Queen

THEY DO have German Open women's champions who are not called Steffi Graf but they are few and far between. Only Monica Seles has broken the spell since 1986 so Berlin did not shudder when she completed her seventh win in eight years yesterday with a 7-6, 2-6, 6-4 defeat of Gabriela Sabatini. Sighed with relief, perhaps.

As a springboard for the French Open next week there was less bounce this time. The German won but did so making more unforced errors than usual and having survived crises in three matches. More than one opponent left the Gottfried von Cramm tennis centre this week believing the Wimbledon champion could be hers for the taking the next time they meet.

Sabatini, currently ranked three places behind yesterday's opponent at fifth in the world, among them. She was not at her best either but came close to defeating Graf for the first time in four meetings and the first time in Europe. 'Physically and mentally, I am feeling good,' Sabatini said. 'Everything is working well.'

This is an important year for the Argentine. She has changed coach, replacing Carlos Kirmayr with Denis Ralston, and she is aware that at 23 - it was her birthday yesterday - time is becoming more of an enemy than a friend.

Certainly yesterday she showed a great inclination to attack during the 2hr 18min match. Her one Grand Slam success, the 1990 United States Open, came when she rushed the net, imposing herself. Yet something inside tends to keep her anchored to the baseline unless things are going well. Yesterday she advanced with more eagerness than usual and could have won in straight sets if she had taken her chance at 5-4 up.

Graf has achieved her reputation by being able to fight as well as flow, and she returned with such venom that Sabatini twice hopelessly miscued backhands and lost the game to love. It was a decisive miss, the defending champion taking the tie-break 7-3.

Five of Sabatini's 11 victories over Graf have been won when she has trailed by a set so it was encouraging that she played so well in the next. Graf's forehand, an erratic stroke all week, went to pieces and, with the Argentine floating around with an elegant ruthlessness, the momentum of the game was hers until her opponent reasserted herself.

Graf was about as downbeat as a winner can be, attributing her lack of confidence to the aftermath of Seles's stabbing in Hamburg 17 days ago. 'Last week wasn't easy,' she said. 'I was shocked by what had happened but also it was not peaceful at home. It had to with the incident; people jumped on it. I need to be somewhere quiet before I go to Paris.' Graf has been subjected to threats in the past.

(Photograph omitted)