Connors Has Tough Draw, Beginning Against Stich

Jimmy Connors may be the unluckiest tennis player in the French capital. When the singles draw for the French Open was completed at Stade Roland Garros Friday afternoon, the 39-year-old American found himself in a first-round bracket with Wimbledon champion Michael Stich.

Meanwhile, defending champion Jim Courier, the No. 1 player, has a potential minefield in his quarter of the 128-man draw. There are five excellent clay-court players, with the American at the top. Courier plays a qualifier in the first round, which begins Monday.

The top women have fewer immediate worries. Monica Seles, the 18-year-old who has won here the past two years, has fairly weak opposition in the early rounds. But she will face her 16-year-old nemesis, Jennifer Capriati, if both advance to the quarterfinals.

Steffi Graf, seeded second, also should have few problems at the outset. The toughest opponents in her bracket are seventh-seeded Mary Joe Fernandez and 10th-seeded Jana Novotna. Fernandez faces Gigi Fernandez, ranked 21st, in the first round.

The only top players not competing are Boris Becker (leg injury) and Martina Navratilova, who gave up playing on clay several years ago.

Because clay is such a demanding surface, there always is potential for upsets. While Courier may have to contend with such clay-court specialists as Thomas Muster, Alberto Mancini, Karel Novacek, Andrei Chesnokov and the newly heralded Carlos Costa, 10th-seeded Ivan Lendl will have a first-round encounter with another clay-court demon: Sergei Bruguera.