Graf Fit Enough in Paris : French Open: She confirms her recovery from injury and illness by running around Sanchez Vicario in final.

It is so difficult for Steffi Graf to reveal anything of herself. Her reserve has become a defense.

So on Saturday, only after she had defeated Arantxa Sanchez Vicario to win the French Open women’s singles title for the fourth time, did her curtain of stoicism lift. Tears of relief flowed from her eyes.

Relief, that she had balanced for so long on the edge of physical health, that she had defied pain and possible career-ending injury. That she had defeated the defending champion and an opponent who would never give up.

Graf’s 7-5, 4-6, 6-0 victory on a cold and wet center court at Roland Garros gave the 25-year-old German her 16th Grand Slam title and ended the pressure of not winning at a Grand Slam event in four previous tries.

This was only Graf’s sixth tournament in nine months and came, she revealed, on the strength of only one week of practice after six weeks of illness. Graf said she gave strong consideration to not playing here.

“It’s difficult to talk about that,” she said. “The weeks before were difficult. There were times I thought I couldn’t be playing, during the six weeks that I didn’t play a tournament. Once I came back from America, my back wasn’t too great.”

Graf hasn’t spoken about how bad things have been. She would not provide further details of the stress fracture in her back and ensuing calf injury that kept her out of the Australian Open. Those physical injuries were followed by a long bout with flu. The rumor-prone tennis tour had already put Graf into early retirement.

Graf’s coach, Heinz Gunthardt, said he was awed by his pupil’s victory in light of her limited preparation.

“She herself has always told me that she may not have great ability, but she has great ability to work,” Gunthardt said. “She’s wrong. Yes, she has the ability to work, but she has great ability. You can’t come into this tournament and win it, with the kind of preparation she’s had, without great ability. Sheer willpower.”

Graf has imposed her will on the women’s tour this season, for the brief period she has played. Although she has played in only four tournaments, Graf has won them all. She has lost only two sets since February and has won 25 consecutive matches.

Sanchez Vicario--who, in addition to her 1994 title, also won here in 1989, beating Graf--was not able to maintain her usual level of running. Her weeklong battle with a stomach virus had sapped her energy. By the third set, and after a cavalcade of long points, Sanchez Vicario was no longer scampering after every ball.

Still, Sanchez Vicario was a jolly loser. As she walked the grounds toward the press center after the match, she was serenaded by the flag-draped Spanish fans who chanted her name and sang songs. As always, Sanchez Vicario said she fought hard and tried her best and that carried its own satisfaction.

Sanchez Vicario’s 12 weeks at No. 1 are over, although she said she is already looking forward to the battle to retake the position. Graf has been No. 1 previously for a total of 282 weeks, but for her, titles are the most important.

Saturday’s match, delayed twice by rain, was the first meeting of the two players this year.

Sanchez Vicario won the U.S. Open last year, earning the title at Graf’s expense. Graf held a 6-1, 5-4 lead before Sanchez Vicario took advantage of unforced errors made at tight moments.

There were echoes of that in Saturday’s final, but Graf held firm during the long points typical of slow red clay. While managing to conserve her energy, Graf successfully ran Sanchez Vicario around the court.

“I did realize we had a lot of long points,” Graf said. “I let her really run from side to side, even though I maybe didn’t finish them off too well. But I think it took her a lot of energy in the second set to win it. I think that paid off in the third set.”

At the start of the match Graf seemed impatient and not willing to work the points. But her aggressive play and ability to dictate the points eventually overpowered Sanchez Vicario’s counterpunching, defensive style.

Graf had made 20 or more unforced errors in each of the first two sets but pared that to five in the third. Sanchez Vicario could manage to win only six points in the set, one from an ace and five from Graf’s unforced errors.

The abrupt change was devastating for Sanchez Vicario, who could not seem to catch her breath. For the first time in the match, Sanchez Vicario was not able to run down every shot, and Graf was ending points with authority.

Sanchez Vicario double-faulted to give Graf break point on her first service game in the third set, and Graf ran off the first five games of the set. Then the match was delayed by rain with Sanchez Vicario serving to stay in the match.

When play resumed, Sanchez Vicario fended off one championship point, but Graf prevailed on the second.

Only then would she allow herself a smile--brief, but radiant.