Tennis: Seles and Davenport eliminated

Monica Seles and Lindsay Davenport were knocked out of the Women's Tennis Association Championships at Madison Square Garden, New York. Both fell after winning the first set in their first-round matches, Seles crashing 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Mary Joe Fernandez upsetting Davenport 2-6, 6-4, 7-6.

Fernandez outfought her former doubles partner, the third seed, in a two and a half hour struggle on Wednesday night, though she needed five match points. Sanchez Vicario defeated the fifth-seeded Seles for only the second time in her career; both wins have come in the last three months. The Spaniard has failed to win an event outright this year, although she and Jana Novotna shared the rained-out Eastbourne title. Seles has not won at this event since her third consecutive title in 1992.

David Lloyd has agreed to carry on as Britain's Davis Cup captain for the next three years with one immediate target - to restore his team to the World Group in 1998. Lloyd, whose original contract was due to expire on February 28 next year, has signed a rolling one-year contract, open for three years, following a meeting with the Lawn Tennis Association chief executive, John Crowther.

Britain, in Euro-Africa Zone Group One, have won five of their last six ties since Lloyd took over the captaincy from Billy Knight in March 1995. But they were beaten 4-1 by Zimbabwe last April when Greg Rusedski and Tim Henman were both injured.

Britain's 1998 campaign will open with a home tie against either the Ukraine or Denmark at the Newcastle Arena from 3 to 5 April and victory would take them into the World Group qualifying round in September.

John Lloyd, appointed Britain's Davis Cup coach by his brother, David, the team captain, will continue in that role.