Sporting Digest: Tennis

MONICA SELES has dropped out of the women's world rankings. Seles, who was the world No 1 from September 1991 to June 1993, has not played competitively since being stabbed in the back during a match last April in Hamburg, and she is now ineligible for the WTA rankings.

MICHAEL STICH, the world No 2, yesterday ended months of speculation by saying he will help Germany defend the Davis Cup this year, starting against Austria next month.

ATP TOURNAMENT (Stuttgart) Singles, first round: C Pioline (Fr) bt M Larsson (Swe) 6-7 6-4 7-6; A Cherkasov (Rus) bt J Svensson (Swe) 6-3 4-6 6-1; H Leconte (Fr) bt J Sanchez (Sp) 6-2 7-6; S Edberg (Swe) bt M Goellner (Ger) 6-7 7-6 6-0; C-U Steeb (Ger) bt A Mansdorf (Isr) 6-4 6-4; C Costa (Sp) bt E Sanchez (Sp) 6-3 6-2.

WTA CHINA WOMEN'S OPEN (Peking): Chen Li (China) bt N Pratt (Aus) 6-1 6-1; J Byrne (Aus) bt A Kerek (Ger) 3-6 6-4 6-2.

ATP TOURNAMENT (Philadelphia) First round: L Mattar (Braz) bt G Stafford (SA) 6-2 6-4; A Chesnokov (Rus) bt J Tarango (US) 6-4 1-6 6-4; D Flach (US) bt S Lareau (Can) 6-4 6-3.

VAUXHALL INDOOR TROPHY Men's fifth round: Puma Sunderland 2 David Lloyd Renfrew 1; Topspin Darlington 1 Barnard Castle School 2; Upper Armley Leeds w/o Graves Sheffield scr; Hallamshire Sheffield 3 Huddersfield 0; Bilston 1 Edgbaston Priory 2; Watchorn Alfreton 0 Repton School 3; Batchwood St Albans 2 David LLoyd Bushey 1; Hazelwood 0 Connaught 3; Roehampton 0 Carlton 3; Middlesex Univ 3 Queen's 0; BBC 0 David Lloyd Finchley 3; Royal Berks 3 David Lloyd Heston 0; Chris Lane Woking 2 Delta Swindon 1; Crawley 2 Sutton Junior B 1; Surrey CC 1 Pavilion & Avenue Hove 2; Maidstone 1 Sutton Junior A 2; Parklangley Bromley w/o Deal scr; West Hants Bournemouth w/o Bourne Farnham scr; Kingsley 0 Match Point Southampton 3.