Only One Faster Than Morceli Is Morceli

Noureddine Morceli of Algeria just missed his world record in the 1,500 meters, running the second-fastest time in history, 3 minutes 27.52 seconds, in the Herculis Grand Prix track and field meet Tuesday at Monte Carlo.

Morceli, who broke his own 1,500-meter mark in Nice, France, less than two weeks ago with a time of 3:27.37, was running virtually alone after 800 meters at 1:51.56, and was timed in 2:47.26 at 1,200 meters. He sped through his final 400 meters in 53.7.

“The spectators were probably thinking of my record here last year,” said Morceli, who finished far ahead of American Steve Holman, who had a personal best of 3:32.01. “And so was I.”

Gwen Torrence, the 1992 Olympic gold medalist, won the women’s 200 in 21.81 seconds, beating Irina Privalova of Russia, the indoor world record-holder, and Merlene Ottey of Jamaica, the 1993 world champion. Privalova was second in 21.81; Ottey finished in 22.13.

The U.S. team of Mo Green, Jon Drummond, Mike Marsh and Dennis Mitchell won the men’s 400-meter relay in 38.25, the year’s best time.

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Wang Junxia, world record-holder in the 3,000 and 10,000 meters, will not compete in next month’s world track championships, dashing China’s hopes of repeating the stunning success its women runners had in the last world meet.

The Chinese Athletics Assn. said Wang and her fellow distance runners were not in peak form because of their dispute with former coach Ma Junren. He won’t be making the trip to Sweden.

Tennis

Monica Seles will not make her return to professional tennis next week in the Toshiba Classic at La Costa, as she had originally hoped. Seles, who plays an exhibition against Martina Navratilova in Atlantic City, N.J., on Saturday, would have faced travel obstacles and fatigue to get to the tournament, which begins Monday.

Greg Rusedski, a Canadian who was treated warmly at Wimbledon after recently becoming a British citizen, got a frosty reception from spectators at the Canadian Open, then was upset by Michael Joyce, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3, in the first round at Montreal.

Top-seeded Thomas Muster defeated Germany’s Martin Sinner, 6-2, 6-3, in the first round of the $500,000 Netherlands International tournament at Amsterdam, then pulled out of the event with an inflamed cyst on his right foot.

Boxing

Mike Tyson will fight again on Nov. 4 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the same night Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield are scheduled to meet in another big heavyweight fight just across the Las Vegas Strip.

Setting up what could be a heavyweight battle between competing fights, Tyson manager John Horne said the former champion would fight an opponent to be named. The pay-per-view event would go directly against the Bowe-Holyfield rubber match at Caesars Palace.

Hockey

The Kings will open their 29th NHL season on Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Forum against the new Colorado franchise, formerly the Quebec Nordiques and now named the Rocky Mountain Avalanche.

The Mighty Ducks open the 1995-96 NHL season with a four-game trip starting Oct. 9 at Winnipeg.

Golf

England’s Barry Lane reached the final of the World Championship of Golf, beating Ryder Cup teammates Bernhard Langer and Seve Ballesteros in the European regional final at Thame, England. . . . Fred Couples, forced to withdraw from the British Open because of back problems, said he will defend his title in next week’s Buick Open and also plans to play in the PGA Championship.

Miscellany

The resumption of contract talks between the NBA and union leaders produced no progress, and W. Charles Bennett, a financial consultant to the union’s negotiating team, quit amid a dispute over how much money the league is making.

The Oklahoma City Coyotes scored six unanswered goals during the second and third quarters and overtook the Los Angeles Blades for a 10-8 Roller Hockey International victory at Oklahoma City.

Atlanta received a $28-million federal grant for extra buses during the Olympics and for multilingual, computerized information kiosks that will help confused visitors navigate the city . . . Rodeo cowboys competing in the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo met to discuss forming a Professional Rodeo Players Assn. . . . The Brickyard 400 on Aug. 5 in Indianapolis is offering the largest purse in NASCAR history--$4.5 million, up from $3.2 million last year. The winner is guaranteed more than $500,000.

Names in the News

Forward Rodrick Rhodes was granted his scholarship release from Kentucky for his senior year, according to Brooks Downing, Kentucky’s assistant media relations director. Rhodes, who averaged 13 points a game last basketball season, visited USC last weekend and is considering transferring to the school. . . . Derrick Smith, 30, the getaway car driver in the 1994 attack on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, was released from an Oregon prison. . . . San Diego State’s Travis Lee homered and drove in five runs, leading Team USA over Taiwan, 10-2, for its eighth consecutive victory.