Tennis: Preoccupied Becker has first shot at the jackpot: German rivals on course for a semi-final showdown in the Grand Slam Cup, the annual extravaganza where money is no object

THE man who raised tennis extravagance to a new level by launching the dollars 6m ( pounds 4m) Compaq Grand Slam Cup four years ago intends to step aside. Axel Meyer-Wolden has other business to attend to, not least as adviser to the erratic Boris Becker.

Becker turned to Meyer-Wolden in July after ending a 10-year association with his manager, the Romanian, Ion Tiriac. Meyer-Wolden, who used to work with Tiriac, is currently exercising his skills as a lawyer in litigation resulting from the Becker split.

The Bavarian dollarfest this week coincides with Becker's debut in Meyer-Wolden's tournament and the possibility of a showdown with his rampant compatriot, Michael Stich, in the semi-finals.

During the past fortnight, Stich has won the ATP Tour Championship in Frankfurt, for which Becker failed to qualify, and has led Germany to triumph in the Davis Cup in Dusseldorf, after Becker deserted.

Becker refused to participate in the first two years of the Grand Slam Cup, dismayed by the vast amount of money being thrown at the players and also because the event was calculated to upstage the ATP Tour finale. Last year he relented, but then withdrew because of injury.

The timing of his first appearance in the 16-man draw is almost perfect box office, though his performance will depend, as ever, on his level of fitness and state of mind. Recently, the three-times Wimbledon champion has been preoccupied with thoughts of fatherhood and marriage.

While Stich was striving for Germany last week, Becker went to Italy and the Czech Republic to play a couple of exhibition matches. Before that, he spent a week working out at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida.

Becker is determined to be in good enough shape to avoid the risk of derision if he advances to meet Stich, the defending champion and world No 2, on Saturday. There are hurdles to be negotiated, the first materialising today in the form of the South African, Wayne Ferreira.

Stich opens tomorrow against the American, MaliVai Washington, and it will be interesting to see how the 1991 Wimbledon champion adjusts to the fast carpet court at the Olympiahalle after spending last weekend swatting persistent Australians on red clay in Dusseldorf.

For Meyer-Wolden, acting as adviser to Becker and Marc Goellner, an emerging German player, is only part of an impressive entrepreneurial work-load. He was prominent in the Berlin 2000 Olympic bid and recently negotiated a DM700m ( pounds 275m) deal for the sale of television rights for German football to SAT 1. In addition, he represents the Munich Symphonic Sound Orchestra and Placido Domingo.

Meyer-Wolden plans to accept the title of president or chairman of the Grand Slam Cup, but will cease to be the promoter. 'I did a good job against all odds,' he said, expressing confidence that the event would continue.

The Grand Slam Cup generates dollars 2m per year for the development of the sport, though this is overshadowed by the dollars 6m prize pot. Pete Sampras, David Wheaton and Stich have each won the dollars 2m jackpot.

This year, as a further inducement to leading players, the prize- money was restructured to provide dollars 1.5m for the winner and dollars 250,000 bonuses for the champions of each of the four Grand Slams.

Jim Courier still declined to travel from Florida, so his bonus as the Australian Open champion has been restored to the pool. Pete Sampras, already guaranteed a dollars 500,000 bonus as the Wimbledon and the United States Open champion, stands to collect a record dollars 2.125m if he wins the title on Sunday.

GRAND SLAM CUP Today: P Korda (Cz Rep) v A Volkov (Rus); S Edberg (Swe) v T Martin (US); B Becker (Ger) v W Ferreira (SA); S Bruguera (Sp) v M Larsson (Swe). Tomorrow: M Chang (US) v W Masur (Aus); M Stich (Ger) v M Washington (US); P Sampras (US) v T Muster (Aut); B Steven (NZ) v C Pioline (Fr).