Steffi cleared as court orders charity gift

Steffi Graf has been ordered to make a donation to charity after prosecutors dropped their investigation into her tax affairs.

The amount the German tennis star will give was not disclosed in the one-line statement issued by court officials in the southern city of Mannheim yesterday. The deal was reached with her agreement and is a technique commonly used in Germany when officials feel a case does not merit a lengthy hearing.

Graf's father, Peter, was convicted in January of evading millions of Marks in taxes on his daughter's winnings and sentenced to nearly four years in prison.

The judge recommended dropping the investigation into Steffi, saying he believed her father bore responsibility. She has always claimed she had entrusted financial matters to her father.