Sporting Digest: Tennis

STEFFI GRAF, the world No 1, led the opposition in defeating a move to play next year's Australian Open women's singles final over the best of five sets. Graf, the reigning champion, was supported by virtually all the leading women players.

AUSTRIAN MEN'S OPEN (Kitzbuhel) First round: E Alvarez (Sp) bt E Sanchez (Sp) 7-5 6-4; A Olhovskiy (Rus) bt T Nydahl (Swe) 7-5 6-3; L Gloria (US) bt J Knowle (Aut) 6-3 6-2; R Jabali (Bra) bt D Adams (Aus) 6-2 3-6 7-6; F Meligeni (Bra) bt S Cortes (Chile) 6-1 7-5. Second round: F Santoro (Fr) bt A Gaudenzi (It) 2-6 6-4 6-3; G Ivanisevic (Croa) bt H Wiltschnig (Aut) 6-4 6-4; G Schaller (Aut) bt F Sanchez (Sp 2-6 6-4 6-1; J Burillo (Sp) bt M Filippini (Urug) 6-3 6-3; J Arrese (Sp) bt M Ardinghi (It) 6-4 6-3; J Sanchez (Sp) bt P Baur (Ger) 6-4 7-6.

LOS ANGELES MEN'S OPEN First round: R Krajicek (Neth) bt M Joyce (US) 7-6 6-1; A Volkov (Rus) bt B Shelton (US) 6-7 7-6 6-3; K Braasch (Ger) bt D Nainkin (SA) 6-3 6-0; J Apell (Swe) bt D Rikl (Cz Rep) 6-3 6-1; R Weiss (US) bt B Dunn (US) 6-2 6-4; S Bryan (US) bt Nemecek (Cz Rep) 6-3 6-2; G Rusedski (Can) bt M Hadad (Colom) 6-3 6-4; L Mattar (Bra) bt J Tarango (US) 6-7 6-4 6-3; S Campbell (US) bt M Ruah (Ven) 6-3 6-3.

CZECH MEN'S OPEN (Prague) First round: A Chesnokov (Rus) bt O Ogorodov (Uzb) 6-4 6-1; B Larkham (Aus) bt H Gumy (Arg) 6-3 5-7 6-4; J Cunha-Silva (Por) bt G Bloom (Isr) 7-6 6-4; A Costa (Sp) beat J Oncins (Bra) 6-3 5-7 6-3; A Corretja (Sp) bt F Mantilla (Sp) 3-6 6-4 6-3; C Ruud (Nor) bt T Gollwitzer (Ger) 6-0 6-3; O Kristiansson (Swe) bt B Ulihrach (Cz Rep) 6-2

6-3; J Gisbert (Sp) bt M Blackman (US) 6-4 6-2; A Medvedev (Ukr) bt P Tramacchi (Aus) 7-6 6-0;

K Novacek (Cz Rep) bt M Wilander (Swe) 7-5 6-1; S Dosedel (Cz Rep) bt A Mancisidor (Sp) 6-3 6-2.

CARLSBAD WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT (Calif) First round: N Medvedeva (Ukr) bt N Herreman (Fr) 6-0 6-2; A Grossman (US) bt C Cunningham (US) 6-3 6-1; J Nejedly (Can) bt M Kochta (Ger) 6-3 5-7 6-3; A Strnadova (Cz Rep) bt M J Gaidano (Arg) 6-4 6-2; C Singer (Ger) bt P Suarez (Arg) 6-4 1-6 6-3; S Testud (Fr) bt K Kschwendt (Ger) 6-1 6-2; A Dechaume Balleret (Fr) bt S Reece (US) 6-2 6-2; E Likhovtseva (Kaz) bt T Price (SA) 6-4 6-1; M Jackson Nobrega (US) bt A Keller (US) 6-4 6-3; R Grande (It) bt R White (US) 6-4 6-7 6-3; J Durie (GB) bt R Hiraki (Japan) 7-5 7-5; S Rottier (Neth) bt A Serra-Zanetti (It) 6-1 6-1; A Henricksson (US) bt S Lohrmann (Ger)

6-3 5-7 7-5; N Baudone (It) bt A Creek (US) 6-3

7-5; L Raymond (US) bt R Stubbs (Aus) 7-5 7-6; I Majoli (Croa) bt E Martincova (Cz Rep) 7-6 6-1; M A Vento (Ven) bt S Jeyaseelan (Can) 6-4 2-6

6-3.