Sporting Digest: Tennis

MARTINA NAVRATILOVA says she is not certain about playing in the United States Open later this month. 'I haven't made my mind up yet,' she said. 'I've played a lot of tennis this summer with TeamTennis and I haven't been home much. It's hard to justify not enjoying myself in my last year on tour.' Jimmy Connors has definitely decided not to appear in New York. 'There is no more toying with the idea, my time playing the Open is over,' the 41-year-old said. 'I can't play forever, even if it seems if I have.'

WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT (Manhattan Beach, Ca): First round: P Shriver (US) bt E de Lone (US) 7-6 7-5; L Raymond (US) bt R Grande (It) 6-2 6-3; A Gavaldon (US) bt N Medvedeva (Rus) 6-2 6-2; A Mall (US) bt P Suarez (Arg) 7-5 6-3; P Hy (Can) bt P Harper (US) 6-2 7-6; K Po (US) bt K Adams (US) 6-3 6-2; D Graham (US) bt N Baudone (It) 7-6

6-4; K Kschwendt (Ger) bt K Quentrec (Fr) 3-6 6-2 6-1; M Gaidano (Arg) bt M Kochta (Ger) 7-5 6-2; T Whitlinger-Jones (US) bt J Byrne (Aus) 6-2 6-3; A Keller (US) bt E Martincova (Cz Rep) 2-6 6-4 6-4; K Nagatsuka (Japan) bt N Miyagi (Japan) 4-6 7-5 7-6; A Carlsson (Swe) bt R Simpson-

Alter (Can) 4-6 6-1 6-0; P Fendick (US) bt C Kuhlman (US) 6-4 7-6; M Mazzotta (Venezuela) bt R McQuillan (Aut) 6-4 7-5; A Frazier (US) bt A Strnadova (Cz) 6-0, 4-1 retired; A Dechaume-Balleret (Fr) bt F Zuluaga (Col) 6-3 6-1, C Singer (Ger) bt J Kruger (SA) 7-5 7-5.

THE former junior Wimbledon and US Open champion Leander Paes will lead India's fight to stay in the Davis Cup world group in next month's play-off against South Africa.

SAN MARINO MEN'S TOURNAMENT First round: L Jonsson (Swe) bt D Nargiso (It) 6-3 6-3; O Gross (Ger) b G Puentes (Sp) 6-0, 6-1; C Vangrasse (Bel) A Voinea (Rom) 6-2 6-2; M Filippini (Uru) bt H Gumy (Arg) 6-4 6-4.

ATP MEN'S TOURNAMENT (Mason, Oh) First round: Y Kafelnikov (Rus) bt S Lareau (Can) 6-4 6-3; W Ferreira (SA) bt M Goellner (Ger) 7-5 6-4; C Pioline (Fr) bt W Masur (Aus) 3-6 6-4 6-2; M Damm (Cz Rep) bt P Rafter (Aus) 6-3 3-6 7-6; M Washington (US) bt A Gaudenzi (It) 6-3 6-7 7-6; I Lendl (US) bt J Yzaga (Peru) 6-1 6-3; C Caratti (It) bt A Volkov (Rus) 6-2 7-6; S Bryan (US) bt P McEnroe (US) 7-5 6-7 7-6; A Mansdorf (Isr) bt D Rikl (Cz Rep) 1-6 6-0 7-5; T Woodbridge (Aus) bt R Reneberg (US) 6-7 6-3 7-5; K Flach (US) bt N Kulti (Swe) 2-6 7-6 6-2; A Cherkasov (Rus) bt L Roux (Fr) 7-6 6-3.