Becker Is Out of Key Biscayne Tournament Because of Illness

Without playing a match, Boris Becker withdrew from the Lipton Championships because of a respiratory infection, extending his misfortune at the Key Biscayne, Fla., tournament.

Becker has yet to reach the Lipton quarterfinals in eight tries since 1985.

In Friday’s matches, Steffi Graf, co-ranked No. 1 among women with Monica Seles, struggled against Sandra Cacic, winning 6-1, 7-5, in Graf’s opening match. She had a first-round bye.

Stefan Edberg of Sweden, playing his last year on the tour, won a first-round match between two 30-year-old veterans when he defeated Emilio Sanchez of Spain, 6-7 (8-6), 6-3, 6-2.

Becker’s illness has run about four weeks now. The Australian Open champion, ranked fifth, has played only two matches since Feb. 26, losing both.

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Second-seeded Daniel Vacek, bothered by a stomach illness, withdrew while losing, 2-1, in the first set to Magnus Gustaffson, seeded seventh, in the quarterfinals of the St. Petersburg Open in Russia. Vacek’s doctors said he had gastroenteritis and could not play again until April 23.

Jurisprudence

Pittsburgh Steeler running back Byron “Bam” Morris and a passenger in his car, Rodney Dwayne Reynolds, were released from jail on bail after their arrest near Dallas for possession of marijuana. During a stop for a traffic violation, police searching Morris’ leased car found more than six pounds of marijuana in the trunk.

Golf

Lennie Clements had six birdies en route to a six-under-par 66 and a one-shot lead over Tom Watson after two rounds of the Freeport-McMoran Classic in New Orleans. Clements, who has not won in 16 years on the PGA Tour, is at 11-under 133. Watson, who has not won in nine years, had seven birdies and a bogey in shooting 66.

Scott McCarron is at nine under and five players were seven under, including defending champion Davis Love III.

Orville Moody and Jimmy Powell combined for a seven-under-par 65 to take the first-round lead in the Legends of Golf at La Quinta. Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player were one shot behind at 66 in the team event at the PGA West Stadium course, and Simon Hobday and George Archer were alone at 67.

Brandie Burton shot a three-under-par 70 to tie Val Skinner and Marianne Morris for the lead after the second round of the Standard Register Ping in Phoenix. They are at 140 for the 36 holes.

Winter Sports

Kyle Rasmussen won the U.S. Alpine Championships’ super-giant slalom by 0.05 seconds at Sugarloaf/USA in Carrabassett Valley, Maine, for his first national title. The victory came a day after he had stormed off the course after a disappointing downhill, normally his best event. Picabo Street was the women’s downhill winner, in 1 minute 24.36 seconds for the 1.72-mile run.

Football

The Dallas Cowboys signed free-agent linebacker Broderick Thomas from the Minnesota Vikings. That action came after the Vikings said they were dumping Thomas, who had been charged with drunk driving and possession of an unauthorized handgun in Texas for a second time in six months.

Miscellany

Ward Burton’s Pontiac turned a qualifying lap of 173.797 mph to win the pole for Sunday’s TranSouth Financial 400 NASCAR Winston Cup event at Darlington Raceway. Jeff Gordon, in a Chevrolet, will start alongside Burton on the front row.

Eddie Cheever’s Indy car slammed into a wall during practice at Phoenix International Raceway. Cheever, 38, an Indy-car driver since 1990, sustained a concussion and pain in his left shoulder and was taken to a local hospital for observation.

James Madison swimmer Matt Miler, appearing shirtless in a magazine aimed at teen-age girls, has lost his eligibility to compete. The NCAA said the photo of Miller in the April issue of YM magazine violated a rule by promoting the magazine and a cologne company, which were sponsoring a contest to select the best-looking man from among photos.

Ghana, Nigeria and Tunisia, the top three teams from the men’s African Olympic soccer tournament, have joined five other teams to qualify for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Former UCLA basketball coach Walt Hazzard, 53, a scout and special administrative assistant with the Lakers, was hospitalized in stable condition for undisclosed reasons.

He is expected to remain under observation, but the family has asked that no details be released, Laker spokesman John Black said.