TENNIS / THOMAS BONK : Handicapping French Open Isn’t Easy

The French Open begins two weeks from Monday and, as usual, there is no clear-cut favorite in the men’s field. This continues a trend begun in 1989 by Michael Chang, who came out of nowhere to win at Roland Garros, defeating Stefan Edberg in a five-set final.

Two more upsets in the final were produced by Andres Gomez over Andre Agassi in 1990 and Jim Courier over Agassi in 1991. Neither Gomez nor Courier was expected to reach the final, much less win.

Handicapping isn’t any easier this year. So far, the best player on clay has been 24-year-old Spaniard Carlos Costa, who began the week 16-2 on the slow surface. Ranked No. 201 a year ago, Costa is up to No. 21 on the computer list and moving fast.

At the same time, Ivan Lendl is dropping like a rock. Lendl has a 12-10 record for the year, 4-4 on clay, and has lost his opening match in his last two tournaments. He will be down to No. 11 when the new computer rankings are released Monday, the first time he has been out of the top 10 since June 23, 1980.

The women’s field is all mixed up. All you need to know is how the top players have made news recently. Monica Seles missed a tournament because she fell off her bike, then sprained her wrist while dialing her cellular phone. Steffi Graf was photographed sunbathing in the nude at her house in Florida. Gabriela Sabatini bought a pink and black motorcycle and had a rose named after her. Jennifer Capriati supposedly rebelled against her parents and took five weeks off before entering the Italian Open.

In last week’s final in Hamburg, Germany, Graf defeated Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, who had defeated Sabatini, who always seems to defeat Graf, who didn’t play the week before in Barcelona where Seles defeated Sanchez Vicario. Capriati was in school.

Slow track: The USTA has chosen red clay as the surface on which the U.S. Davis Cup team will play Sweden in the semifinals, Sept. 25-27, at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The choice of surface should come as no surprise to Stefan Edberg, who has won only one clay-court tournament in his career.

One is off track: Would-be Indianapolis 500 driver Lyn St. James held a news conference last week to accommodate all the requests to interview her about her mission to become the second woman to drive in the race. Defending French Open champion Jim Courier has refused all interview requests about returning to Paris.

Agassi update: After winning a minor event in Atlanta, Andre Agassi slumped again this week when he got dumped in the second round at Hamburg, Germany. Trying to get back on the right track, Agassi has parted with sometime-coach Brian Teacher and reverted to his training method of little practice.

Why? Well, practicing a lot just didn’t work.

“It’s like deciding to add a few rooms to your house and blowing your whole house up in the process,” Agassi said.

More Andre: A fast-foot devotee, Agassi explained why he prefers the United States to Europe: “You give me a Bennigan’s and you give me a cafe and I’ll take Bennigan’s every time.”

Bjorn again: Bjorn Borg is taking his 0-3 record to the sidelines for a while. The Swede, who will be 36 next month, has told ATP officials he won’t play a regular tour event again until an outdoor tournament on clay in Bordeaux, France, in September.

Wimbledon final preview: Stefan Edberg is now married to longtime girlfriend Annette Olsen; Boris Becker is sporting long hair, a beard and a new girlfriend, Barbara Feltus.

Tennis Notes

The Southern California Tennis Assn.’s annual “Youth vs. Experience” tournament will be held Monday at the Los Angeles Tennis Club. The event pits 24 junior players against senior men and women, from 45 to 85. Last year, Youth defeated Experience, 13-11. There is no admission charge. . . . The registration deadline is May 19 for the 66th annual Public Parks tennis tournament, which is scheduled June 6-7, 13-14 and 20-21. The singles and doubles tournament will be played at Griffith Park and Vermont Canyon. Details: (818) 246-5614.

Rosie Casals is planning a tennis benefit at PGA West next Saturday for the National Marrow Donor Program’s registry of potential bone marrow donors. . . . The Osuna Cup, a senior men’s team competition between the United States and Mexico, will be held May 22-25 at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage. The annual competition is held in the memory of Rafael Osuna, and features Dennis Ralston, Osuna’s former doubles partner.