Knee Injury Forces Graf to Withdraw

Steffi Graf withdrew from the Leipzig Open in Germany before her semifinal match Saturday because of an inflammation of the patella tendon in her left knee--an injury that also forced her to skip the Olympics.

Graf, the top-ranked player in the world, was scheduled to face fellow German Anke Huber, the defending champion in the WTA Tour event.

“It’s the first time that, in the middle of a tournament, I’m not able to play further because of an injury,” said Graf, who has been bothered by the injury since her Wimbledon victory in July.

In today’s final Huber will face Iva Majoli, who defeated Helena Sukova, 7-6, 6-4.

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Top-seeded Michael Chang and Jonathan Stark won semifinal-round matches in the Singapore Open to set up an all-American final. Chang beat Greg Rusedski, a Canadian playing out of Britain, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, and Stark overcame Swede Thomas Johansson 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. . . . French Open champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov eased into the final of the Lyon Grand Prix tournament, beating Britain’s Tim Henman 6-1, 6-3. He will meet France’s Arnaud Boetsch in today’s final.

Auto Racing

David Green, who went into the All Pro Bumper To Bumper 300 in Concord, N.C., leading NASCAR’s Busch Grand National Series, was hospitalized after being knocked unconscious in a multicar wreck.

Green, 38, was transported by helicopter to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte for further examination, including a CT scan.

Butch Gilliland passed Jeff Krogh on the final lap to win the Sonoma 100 NASCAR Winston West race at Sears Point Raceway. Gilliland drove his Ford past the Chevrolet of Krogh on turn seven at the 2.52-mile course, and won by .289 seconds.

Jurisprudence

A federal judge in Erie, Pa., on Friday dismissed a lawsuit filed by 1950 National League Rookie of the Year Sam Jethroe, who sought pension benefits from major league baseball. Jethroe, 79, played for the Boston Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates for three years and 17 days in the early 1950s. He is not eligible for a pension or medical benefits because, before 1980, a player had to play at least four full major league seasons to be eligible.

Miscellany

A rodeo in Scottsdale, Ariz., has thrown out a longtime tobacco sponsor and will ask a state taxpayer-funded anti-smoking campaign to make up the money lost by the move. Ann Marie Young of the Scottsdale Jaycees said the organization told the U.S. Tobacco Co. about two weeks ago that its Copenhagen and Skoal products are no longer welcome at the Parada del Sol celebration, a combined parade and rodeo scheduled for Jan. 30-Feb. 2.

Salt Lake City has been chosen to serve as host the 1999 U.S. Figure Skating Assn. national championships.

Names in the News

Wide receiver O.J. McDuffie signed a four-year contract extension with the Miami Dolphins, keeping him with the team through 2000.

Austrian skier Richard Kroell was killed when his car collided head-on with a bus. He was 28. Kroell won the World Cup giant slalom at Alta Badia and Veysonnaz in 1990 and the Super G in 1995 in Bormio.

Michael Spruell, a highly regarded basketball signee who still faces criminal charges in Georgia, has enrolled at Auburn and will practice with the team, but not play in games, until the case is resolved.

Hungarian Adam Madaras won the World Cup modern pentathlon at Stellenbosch, South Africa, clinching the title by winning the 2 1/2-mile cross country run in the final event of the competition.