Word: steffy
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...upset shook men's tennis today, as the world's No. 2 player, Michael Stich, was soundly defeated by Bryan Shelton, who is ranked No. 120. This victory marked the second time in as many days that an outranked American has ousted a favored German, after Lori McNeil beat Steffi Graf yesterday in the first round. Taking advantage of the unpredictable grass courts and his opponent's bad temper, Shelton consistently outplayed and outclassed Stich. Shelton says that he was inspired by his fellow Yank's earlier win, and hopes that their achievements as African-American tennis players will encourage...
...first time in Wimbledon history the defending female champion has been ousted in the first round of play, as American Lori McNeil, ranked No. 22, bested No. 1 Steffi Graf. Graf was favored to recapture the title for a second consecutive year, but at Centre Court, McNeil battled whipping winds and Graf's legendary forehand to quash the six-time Wimbledon champ. No. 2 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario is now expected to take home the top prize, but some are still betting on 10-time winner Martina Navratilova, who is competing on the grass courts of Wimbledon for the final time...
NATURALIZED. MONICA SELES, 20, professional tennis player; as a U.S. citizen; in Miami, Florida. The highly regarded Yugoslavia-born athlete, who toppled from her No. 1 ranking after a knife attack by a crazed Steffi Graf fan, called her citizenship date "a happy day for me. I am proud to be a United States citizen, and look forward to continuing our lives here...
...relative openness and civility. The TV pictures of Kerrigan weeping and grimacing in pain were eerily familiar. Only last April, there were similar shots of tennis whiz Monica Seles, who was stabbed in the back in the midst of a match by a virulent fan of her rival, Steffi Graf. Seles has yet to return to competition. Her attacker was tried and freed on probation...
...Balkan politics. Seles was born in Serbia, and there have been threats against her in the past. But the issue turned out to be top-level tennis, not war. "He did not want to kill Monica Seles," said a police spokesman. "He only wanted to injure her so Steffi Graf could become No. 1 again." The assailant, a 38-year-old German lathe operator, nearly succeeded. His 4.5-in. boning knife barely missed Seles' spinal cord, and it put a 1/2- in.-deep cut in the muscles of her upper back. Doctors at a nearby hospital closed the wound...