Wimbledon Seedings: Agassi, Martin in Top 12

Andre Agassi and Todd Martin were the main beneficiaries Monday when the seedings were announced for Wimbledon.

Agassi, champion two years ago, was seeded No. 12--five places above his world ranking. He has dropped in the rankings due to a long layoff at the start of the year following wrist surgery.

Martin, who beat Pete Sampras Sunday in the final of the Queen’s Club tournament, was rewarded with the No. 6 seeding, three spots above his world ranking.

As expected, defending champions Sampras and Steffi Graf got the No. 1 seedings for the tournament, which starts next Monday.

Mary Pierce, runner-up at the French Open, will be seeded No. 7.

The draw for the two-week tournament will be held today.

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In an interview with the British tabloid Today, Gunther Parche, the man who stabbed Monica Seles in Hamburg, Germany, on April 20, 1993, won’t say he is sorry, only that he would never do it again.

“I will not say sorry because I shouldn’t talk about my feelings,” said Parche, whose placement on probation evoked international criticism. “The only thing I will say is that I would never do this again.”

Parche reiterated that he stabbed Seles, hoping his favorite player, Graf, would regain the No. 1 ranking--which she did. But he refused to elaborate, saying he had promised the Graf family not discuss the incident.

Seles has not played since.

Basketball

Amid speculation that the Philadelphia 76ers will name John Lucas their coach and general manager, a news conference was scheduled for today. Team owner Harold Katz met with Lucas on Sunday.

Lucas, who resigned as coach of the San Antonio Spurs last week, is also said to be a coaching candidate for the Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers.

The 76ers have been without a general manager since Jim Lynam left last month to become coach of the Washington Bullets. The contract of 76er Coach Fred Carter expires in two weeks and the team has not said whether he will be retained.

Katz has said he would be willing to give both positions to one person “if I found the right guy.”

Bobby Hurley of the Sacramento Kings has recovered enough from his auto injuries to play basketball three times a week. Team vice president Geoff Petrie, who met with Hurley last week, said Hurley had been checked by team physicians and passed his tests.

“Basically, he’s been released to do everything he wants,” Petrie said. “He’s really excited obviously about the prospect of playing again, and he looks great.”

Miscellany

At the same time the Naval Academy Athletic Assn. recommended eliminating four sports to save $50,000, it bought a $317,000 condominium in 1992, according to the Baltimore Sun. Living in the condominium is Jack Lengyel, the Naval Academy’s athletic director, the newspaper said. Also in 1992, the association paid to have 96 academy officials and their guests stay in a Philadelphia hotel and attend the Army-Navy game.

Doctors in Hockenheim, Germany, held out little hope for British motorcycle racer Simon Prior, who suffered severe brain damage in a crash at the German Grand Prix. He was breathing through a respirator on Monday.

Indy car driver Robby Gordon of Orange will make his Winston Cup stock-car debut Sunday in the Michigan 400. He will drive a Ford for the newly-formed Kranefuss-Haas team.