They Have the Fax on Seles, but Not the Facts : Tennis: Is it a knee, an arm, or an excuse that will keep top-seeded player from playing at Wimbledon?

The first serve has yet to be struck in anger, and Wimbledon is in a tizzy over the Mystery of Monica.

Monica Seles, the 17-year-old from Yugoslavia and Sarasota, Fla., who is ranked No. 1 in the world and seeded No. 1 for this, the most famous fortnight of tennis, pulled out of the tournament Friday with only the thinnest of explanations.

The tizzy over this is because of timing and tradition.

No top-seeded player has said “thanks, but no thanks” to Wimbledon--especially one who has won the first two legs of the Grand Slam--and that goes back 67 years to when this event started seeding players. The presumption is that, in those 67 years, many a No. 1-seeded player dragged himself or herself onto Centre Court with all sorts of aches and pains--simply because it is Wimbledon.

Wimbledon apparently was informed by fax from Seles’ brother and trainer, Zoltan, that his sister had had a “slight accident” of some kind, and that had caused some sort of injury severe enough to keep her from playing. Wimbledon officials patched up the draw, moving Germany’s Steffi Graf up to the top-seeded position.

But the “slight accident” excuse and the slightly patronizing assurance by Seles in the same fax that she was sorry and was looking forward to playing here in 1992 did little to limit speculation, especially in a city replete with tabloid newspapers. For them, Seles’ mysterious withdrawal is like throwing red meat to the lions.

So, on a Saturday that is set aside at Wimbledon for last-minute practice rounds and reunions, the Saga of Seles was the talk of the town.

Rumor had it that she:

--Had a serious knee problem, had been limping around Vail, Colo., on the arm of Zoltan and had gone there because the famous knee specialist Dr. Richard Steadman was there.

--Had already had the knee surgery.

--Had had shin splints at the French Open, which she won, and they were bad enough to really slow her and make her uncompetitive.

--Had injured her arm while training.

--Was just tired and didn’t want to play here.

--Was just trying to skip out of the Federation Cup, the women’s tennis equivalent to the Davis Cup in England in late July, but didn’t want to jeopardize her chances to play in the Olympics, a sanction that comes through playing in the Federation Cup; and so she contrived an injury story.

All of this had a ring of familiarity with Bo Jackson and his famous hip. The less information that was forthcoming, the more tendency to think Seles and her representatives, IMG, were doing their best to protect her endorsements. Phone calls to IMG representatives brought answering machines or no answers. An answering service at IMG headquarters in Cleveland suggested calling back Monday at 8 a.m.

So, as everybody around Seles remained silent, Wimbledon fumed. Which proved only that, in the world of mysterious injuries, Bo knows and Monica apparently is learning.

Times staff writer Thomas Bonk in Los Angeles contributed to this story.