Tennis: Pierce's father ejected for disturbance: Security problem at French Open

SECURITY guards ejected the father of Mary Pierce, the 12th seed, from Court 11 at the French Open here yesterday because he was causing a disruption during his daughter's third-round match against Kimberly Po.

Jim Pierce, an American who is noted for his outbursts during matches and had assaulted spectators at the tournament last year, apparently had been rude to Po's mother while watching her daughter play Shaun Stafford in the previous round.

Alerted that his behaviour would be monitored yesterday, he sat among spectators instead of taking a place in the guest box. His daughter heard him shouting when she was serving during the opening game, and at the change-over she called to her mother, Yannick, in French: 'He's here, he's annoying me]'

Georgina Clark, the women's superviser, informed security men, and Pierce was escorted from the court at the end of the first set. His daughter went on to win, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3, and will play Jennifer Capriati in the fourth round tomorrow.

'Mr Pierce was shouting out and disturbing Mary while she was playing,' Mrs Clark said. 'The security people were aware of the situation and gave him a warning. When he carried on they took him out of the court at the end of the first set and removed his credential.'

Mary Pierce, who was born in Montreal but has taken French nationality, declined to answer questions about the incident. Asked why her play had improved in the second and third sets, she said: 'I just made less mistakes.'

In accordance with the regulations of the Women's Tennis Association, Jim Pierce could face expulsion from the tournament, from future tournaments, and be fined.

When attention returned to the play, Goran Ivanisevic became the lastest casualty among the top seeds in the men's singles. His defeat by Carlos Costa, of Spain, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-3, added to a sorry list of departures during the opening week: Boris Becker, seeded four; Ivanisevic, five; Petr Korda, six; Ivan Lendl, seven; Michael Chang, eight.

Pete Sampras, the top seed, successfully negotiated his second round match against Marcos Ondruska, which had been delayed overnight, defeating the South African, 7-5, 6-0, 6-3. Sampras received a message from Andre Agassi apologising for his joke in bad taste that 'the world No 1 shouldn't look like he's hanging out of a tree.' It was, Sampras said, 'one of the nicer faxes I have ever gotten.'

Jim Courier, the second seed, had a more difficult time subduing a compatriot, the left-handed Jeff Tarango, 6-1, 6-7, 6-3, 7-5. He now plays another left-hander, the pounding Austrian, Thomas Muster.

Courier seems determined to snub the world champions dinner next Tuesday. 'I am very honoured to be named, but I am here to play,' he said. 'I am not here to socialise. That is not part of my routine. I am in the process of trying to be nominated again for it, and I'd hate to sacrifice anything. I am a very structured person and I like to stay in my structure. I would find it highly unlikely that I will be there.'

Monica Seles, who was due to be honoured with Courier, is still recovering from the knife attack in Germany. She has sent a message which will be read to the guests.

The latest bulletin on Seles from a clinic in Colorado is that she has experienced pain when attempting to go through the motions of a tennis stroke without a racket and it is likely to be some time before she can return to the game. Her participation in the United States Open, which starts on 30 August, remains in doubt.

It is generally agreed that the most thrilling match here last year was the women's final, in which Seles clung on to the title by defeating Steffi Graf 10-8 in the deciding set. With an eagerly awaited rematch delayed by the incident in Hamburg, Graf is left to face Iva Majoli, 15, the latest prodigy from the former Yugoslavia, in the fourth round here tomorrow.

Graf won her 50th singles match at the French championship yesterday, defeating Laura Gildemeister, 6-2, 6-2. Majoli showed impressive determination in achieving a 6-0, 7-6, win against Germany's Sabine Hack, the 15th seed, recovering from 2-5 in the second set and 2-5 in the tie-break.

'I am very excited and happy to play against Steffi,' she said. 'I don't think I have to be nervous, because I am young and I am not afraid.' Even so, she will have to improve upon a 6-2, 6-2 defeat by Graf on a hard court in Florida in March.

Results, page 55

(Photograph omitted)