Graf Returns Well, Hingis Next

Steffi Graf returned from a three-month layoff Wednesday and needed only 45 minutes to defeat Russia’s Yelena Makarova, 6-2, 6-1, in the Paris Open.

The German, who fell from the No. 1 ranking, next faces Swiss prodigy Martina Hingis, 14, who eliminated last year’s finalist, Julie Halard of France, 6-4, 6-1. Halard was seeded fifth and ranked No. 18 in the world.

Because of recurring back and calf injuries, Graf has played only two matches since losing to Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the U.S. Open in September.

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Patrick McEnroe, accusing his opponent of gaining an advantage by wetting the ball by wiping it on his sweat-soaked shirt, lost, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4), to Greg Rusedski in the St. Jude Indoor in Memphis, Tenn. Fourth-seeded Jacco Eltingh lost to Lars Rehmann, 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-2, and No. 8 MaliVai Washington lost to Jonathan Stark, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. . . . Slava Dosedel of the Czech Republic defeated No. 3 Alberto Berasategui of Spain, 6-7 (7-4), 6-2, 6-4, in the Muratti Time tournament in Milan, Italy.

Baseball

Center fielder Brett Butler, an unrestricted free agent, said he plans to re-sign with the Dodgers.

“I still can’t sign because of the ban,” Butler said from his Georgia home, “but I definitely plan on being there when the strike ends. I’ve decided it’d be nice to end my career in LA.”

The Dodgers offered Butler a one-year, $3.5-million contract.

Right-hander Euclides Rojas, a top reliever on the Cuban national team, arrived in Miami after several months in a tent camp at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay. Rojas, 28, left Cuba on a raft with his wife and 3-year-old son but was picked up at sea.

Miscellany

England’s exhibition soccer game against Ireland at Dublin’s Lansdowne Road was interrupted and then called off when English fans began throwing pieces of their seats at Irish fans. With Ireland leading, 1-0, 28 minutes into the game, the fans ripped up wooden benches they had been sitting on and threw them onto Irish supporters below. More than 40 fans were arrested and 20 were hospitalized. One fan died of a heart attack, but it was not known if it was related to the mayhem. . . . America 3’s all-women crew beat Dennis Conner’s Stars & Stripes in the opening race of the third round robin of the America’s Cup trials to end a three-race losing streak. On the challenger course, leader Team New Zealand beat Nippon by 1:34 and Kiwi rival NZL-39 beat winless Rioja de Espana by 2:30.

The German entry Morning Glory is projected to win the Del Rey Yacht Club’s race from Marina del Rey to Puerto Vallarta by about one hour. In the ULDB 70s, Joe Case’s Mongoose, with 337 miles to go, still held a narrow lead. . . . Clipper forward Tony Massenburg sat out practice after spraining his right thumb in Tuesday’s loss at Houston. He is listed as day to day. . . . International Hockey League player Michel Mongeau of the Peoria (Ill.) Rivermen and his wife Chantal are suing opponent Chris Tamer and the Cleveland Lumberjacks for $3.35 million after Tamer’s crosscheck broke seven bones in Mongeau’s face. It took him nearly seven months to recover. . . . The Philadelphia Flyers traded left wing Josef Beranek to the Vancouver Canucks for left wing Shawn Antoski. . . . Roller Hockey International will hold its draft Friday at the L.A. Airport Marriott. . . . For the fifth time in less than three weeks, China’s Sun Caiyun set a world indoor record in the women’s pole vault, clearing 13 feet 7 1/4 inches in Erfurt, Germany.

Defensive end Richard Dent, 34, sidelined for most of the 1994 season after tearing knee ligaments, was released by the San Francisco 49ers. . . . Wide receiver Mark Ingram does not want to return to the Miami Dolphins next season and could be traded in the next few days, the Palm Beach Post reported. . . . Greg Landry was fired as offensive coordinator at Illinois. . . . Steve DeBerg, who spent 17 years as an NFL quarterback, was hired as New York Giant quarterback coach. . . . Edgar Grospiron and Raphaelle Monod of France led after the elimination round at the freestyle skiing world championships in La Clusaz, France. . . . Alabama’s Sherman Williams will undergo tests this week to determine if an enlarged heart, discovered by NFL doctors at the NFL combine, will affect his ability to play pro football.