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Tennis Roundup : Evert Pulls Out of French, May Not Play at Wimbledon

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From Associated Press

Chris Evert withdrew from next week’s French Open, which she has won a record seven times, saying Thursday her heart isn’t in her tennis.

Evert, 34, left in doubt whether she will play at Wimbledon and if her career might be over.

“I’m going to go home and evaluate what I’m going to do,” Evert said from Geneva, Switzerland, where she lost Wednesday to 19-year-old Austrian Barbara Paulus in the European Open.

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“Right now I don’t have the heart to stay out there and fight all day,” Evert said in a statement. “I just want to plan my schedule one week at a time.”

Evert’s agent, Bob Cain, said she will “decide over the next week to 10 days whether she will play Wimbledon.”

Evert has won Wimbledon three times, the U.S. Open six times and the Australian Open twice. Wimbledon starts June 26.

The United States defeated Spain, 2-1, and West Germany beat Switzerland, 2-1, in the $900,000 World Team Cup at Dusseldorf, West Germany.

Javier Sanchez gave Spain a 1-0 advantage by defeating Tim Mayotte, 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 (7-4), but Aaron Krickstein got the United States even with a 7-6 (7-4), 1-6, 6-3 victory over Jordi Arrese. In doubles, Rick Leach and Jim Pugh beat Sanchez and Sergio Casal, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Third-seeded Manuela Maleeva of Bulgaria scored a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Beverly Bowes and advanced to the quarterfinals of the European Open at Geneva.

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Maleeva plays today against Elise Burgin, who gained the quarterfinals by defeating Celine Cohen of Switzerland, 6-4, 7-5.

In other matches, Belinda Cordwell of New Zealand defeated Camille Benjamin, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), and Laura Garrone of Italy defeated Shaun Stafford, 6-0, 6-3.

Top-seeded Andres Gomez of Ecuador outlasted Francesco Cancellotti of Italy, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), and reached the quarterfinals of a tournament at Florence, Italy.

In other matches, fourth-seeded Eduardo Bengoechea of Argentina beat Francesco Clavet of Spain, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3; sixth-seeded Horacio De La Pena of Argentina downed Roberto Azar, also of Argentina, 6-1, 7-6 (9-7), and Thierry Tulasne of France defeated Nuno Marques of Portugal, 6-3, 6-2.

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