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The week In tennis at a glance

Bob Greene
Tuesday 07 December 1999 00:00 GMT
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STARS

STARS

Mark Philippoussis, Lleyton Hewitt, Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde led Australia to the Davis Cup title, beating France 3-2.

American John McEnroe led 6-2, 4-1 when Henri Leconte of France retired with a back injury in the final of the Delta Air Lines ATP Senior Tour of Champions in London.

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SPEAKING

"I'd take this one over Wimbledon any time." - Mark Philippoussis, after winning the clinching match and giving Australia its first Davis Cup title since 1986.

"I guess this is the fourth and fifth set of the match 15 years ago." - John McEnroe, after beating Jimmy Connors 6-1, 6-0 in their first meeting in Britain since the 1984 Wimbledon final, which McEnroe won 6-1, 6-1, 6-2.

"It is a shame it happened in the final. But I don't want a fourth operation." - Henri Leconte, after retiring with a back injury while trailing John McEnroe in the final of the ATP Senior Tour of Champions stop in London.

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SWEEP

When Mark Philippoussis won the Davis Cup clincher, it gave Australia its third international title of 1999. Australia beat France 3-2 to win the prestigious tennis trophy, won the cricket World Cup in June by defeating Pakistan, and beat France in October to win the Rugby World Cup.

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STEFFI HONORED AGAIN

Steffi Graf was awarded the Olympic Order during ceremonies at the Olympic museum in Lausanne, Switzerland. She was presented the Order by International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch. Graf retired from competitive tennis earlier this year after winning 22 Grand Slam tournament titles and an Olympic gold medal.

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STILL GOING

Like the pink rabbit of commercial fame, the men's tennis tour just keeps going, although the major players have ended their year. But this week the men are playing Challenger events in Perth, Australia, and Jaipur, India, while next week they play in Mexico City and Burbank, California. Two years ago, Andre Agassi played in the Burbank Challenger as he began his climb from No. 141 in the world to No. 1.

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STEP UP

Nancy C. Cardoza and Melissa H. Mulrooney have been promoted to vice presidents at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. Cardoza had been director of administration since 1989, while Mulrooney had been museum director since October 1994.

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SENOR SENIOR

Gage Weekes is the new administrator of the 2000 Nuveen Champions senior tennis tournament, which will be held March 6-12 at the Vanderbilt Country Club in North Naples, Florida. It will be the sixth annual senior tournament in Naples. Weekes also will retain his post as administrator of the BTI Champions senior tournament in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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Tennis Magazine in the United States has selected its 20 Greatest Players of the 20th Century: Bill Tilden, Fred Perry, Don Budge, Ken Rosewall, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe and Pete Sampras. The women: Suzanne Lenglen, Helen Wills Moody, Maureen Connolly, Althea Gibson, Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles.

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SIZZLING ANNA

Anna Kournikova is the only athlete included in a month-long Web site contest that list what the editors of IGN For Men say are 64 of the century's most beautiful women. All 64 have previously been profiled on the Web site, www.ignformen.com, and will "compete" via online voting.

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SITES TO SURF

http://www.kournikova.com

http://www.tennisinformation.com

http://www.swisstennis.com/

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