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Wednesday, June 22, 1994
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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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No.1 seed Graft tumbles at Wimbledon
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The Associated Press
WIMBLEDON, England — Lori McNeil upset five-time champion and world No. 1 Steff Graf in the first round of Wimbledon yesterday, batting high winds and through rain delays to win 7-5, 7-6(7-5).
It was the earliest a reigning titlist has been ousted from Wimbledon.
"It's definitely one of the best wins of my career," said the 30-year-old American, long considered a dangerous grass-court player who had never fulfilled her potential.
She played cleverly and courageously in difficult conditions on Centre Court, serving well and hitting away from Graf's forehand.
"It doesn't hurt to lose my crown — it hurts to lose." Graf said.
Graf seemed to be more troubled by the wind, especially on her service
toss. In the tiebreaker, she saved two match points before McNeil — charging the net right to the end — put a forehand volley out of reach of Graf's backhand.
"That was a big part of my strategy," McNeil said about hitting to Graf's backhand. "Everyone knows Steffi has a great forehand."
McNeil, although winner of four grass court titles, had never done well in 10 previous Wimbledons. Her best showing was a quarterfinal loss in 1986 to Hana Mandlikova.
She will now be considered one of the contenders in a wide-open race for the women's title. Graf's ouster also boosted the chances of 37-year-old Martina Navratlova to win a 10th crown in what she says will be her last Wimbledon.
The oddsmakers' new favorite is No.
2 seed ananxia Sanche Vicario, a
clay-court specialist who has never advanced past the quarterfinals here. She routed Katerina Maleeva of Bulgaria, 6-1, 6-2.
"Right now I'm very disappointed," Graf said afterwards. "I wanted to do much better here... I didn't feel very comfortable the whole game."
"She played better than me. That's very obvious. She served much better and I had some trouble with my serves and I just didn't have a very good time."
Not since 1985, when she had just turned 16, had Graf lost more than four games in her first-round match at Wimbledon. She won the title in 1988 and 1989, and again each of the past three years.
The two had never before played on grass.
Opening day Monday was a festival for four former champions. Each had
been struggling, one way or another, but getting back on their beloved Wimbledon grass was like a tonic.
"This is the place where you come and prove yourself," said Andre Agasii. "It's always seemed to help me rise to the occasion."
Agassi, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg — winners of the six of the past nine men's titles — came away heartened by solid first-round victories. So did Navratilova, moved by a sustained standing ovation as she started her 22nd and final Wimbledon.
"I was excited, and then the applause just kept going, and it was 'Wait, I haven't played yet. How am I supposed to play now?' said Navratilova, after beating 19-year-old Briton Claire Taylor, 6-2, 6-3. "It was pretty special."
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