The Observer from London, Greater London, England • 20

20 OBSERVER SUNDAY 5 JUNE 1 988 toffill ff BGDffll7gl FDrKfD EAMOWN McCABE i 1 SCYLD BERRY at Trent Bridge slowly did the shots travel that the 18-year-old German had time to run round them and pepper her opponent with thunderous forehands. The first set lasted 17 minutes. Zvereva collected five points and a French journalist muttered 'Surely it is only in golf that you play In the second game of the second set Zvereva's first winning shot, a backhand pass, was greeted with jubilation by a crowd anxious for her to mount a revival. But the litde girl from Minsk never got out of the starting stalls on this big occasion. Graf made Minsk-meat of her, so to speak.

Now, having captured the Australian Open last January, Steffi is halfway towards the Grand Slam achieved only twice by women, Mar- garet Court and Martina Navratilova. 'But as Wimbledon is on grass Martina is the favourite she said. 'I will try my best but it will be very Graf revealed that the confidence of her entourage that she could not lose yes- terday's final worried her a little beforehand. 'I told myself Hey, you had better watch out, so I was concentrated all the time. Natalia has beaten many good players, so I knew I had to be tough all the Tough was the watchword, and her comment as she accepted the trophy that 'today everything went well' was die sporting understatement of the year.

STEFr-I GRAF, that graceful juggernaut, hammered her way into history yesterday by humiliating Natalia Zver-eva, the 17-year-old Russian, 6-0, 6-0 to win the French Open championship. 'I am very sorry it was so Steffi apologised to the packed Stade Roland Garros as she accepted the trophy and a cheque for 140,000. Discounting an hour's stoppage for rain at 3-0 in the first set, the match was over in 32 minutes. It was the most one-sided women's final in a major championship for 77 years, since Dorothea Lambert-Chambers routed Dora Boothby by the same score at Wimbledon in 1911. Suzanne Lenglen once crushed Molla Mallory for the loss of two games in a faster time, 26 minutes, at the 1922 Wimbledon, but in those days the girls didn't bother with the formality of sitting down at every change of ends.

Discounting the changeover breaks yesterday, Graf needed only 20 minutes to retain the title she won a year ago. Zvereva managed only 13 points and 11 of those were Graf errors, mostly over-hit forehands. However, for every one of those howitzer shots which was misjudged, there were four or five which landed on target. The record for fewest games conceded in winning the French Open was 30 until yesterday; RONALD ATKIN in Paris Graf came on court having lost only 20 games in her previous six matches. She was clearly embarrassed by the ease of it all but, quite rightly, showed no mercy.

The tiny Russian, referred to by the French TV commentators as 'la petite sovielique', was reduced to la paihetique sovielique on the afternoon, but she can still reflect proudly on a tournament in which she beat the world's second and seventh-ranked players, Martina Navratilova and Helena Sukova. She also doubled her career earnings by collecting the runner's-up prize of 75,000, but that money will be pocketed by the Russian Tennis Federation. As usual, Natalia will have to be satisfied with her $25 pocket money for the day's efforts. If any confirmation of her status as number one was needed, Steffi, has provided it here. Since snatching the French Open from Navratilova in a three-set thriller a year ago she has lost only four of her matches, two to Martina (the Wimbledon and US Open finals of 1987) and two to Gabriela Sabatini this spring.

Zvereva, clearly had only one response to' The Big Forehand. Her tactic was to loop the ball on to Graf's backhand, but so As a passionate man Richards runs hot and cold. After this initial burn, he contented himself with singles either side of his half-century. The advent of Embury was the signal for the fire to flare again, in Richards and in Hooper as they took 16 from his first over. It would have been the catch of the century if Lamb at deep mid-on had caught the skimming drive of Emburey's first ball, Richards cutting the second for three.

Hooper stepped down the pitch to the next two and drove them both through extra cover. Emburey's second over yielded II more to Richards, all through cover, by means of cut or drive. The truth is that Richards is as much the master of Emburey as Emburey is of Richardson. On Friday he had never been ready when the off-spinner wanted to bowl, and having disturbed Emburey's rythym, Richards had then had the audacity to pat him of the backside with his bat after hitting him for four. After this softening up of his victim, Richards skipped down the pitch and pull-drove a six when Emburey attempted his third over.

A breathing space was then granted to England when Richards chose to leave the field in bad light, fatally for him. Richards had not added to his tea score when he threw the bat at DeFreitas and the ball screamed to Gooch at ond slip. Inspired, Hooper and-Logie added 33 from six overs before the rain intervened for the final time as England's fielding buckled under the strain. Apart from Jarvis and Pringle, England's bowlers have lacked controlled accuracy. Marshall, on die other side, was magnificent.

His action has become more open-chested' but there was still something extraordinary about the degree of in-swing he with an old ball to set England up for Richards. VIVIAN RICHARDS lit up a grey Saturday and. gave West Indies the advantage in the opening Cornhill Test, not to mention a lead of 19 with six wickets remaining. The West Indian captain forced England's bowlers to render unto Richards the runs which he considered to be his; and hit 80 from 97 balls. As a consequence, certain Members of Parliament are bound to be outraged again at jthe BBC if they show highlights of what Richards did to England and to John Embury in particular.

No doubt it wiU be considered unpatriotic and the nation in the back jiff- there. is a replay of England's off-spinner being hit for 37 from three overs yesterday. Such play was between, the rain showers Richards turned into a personal pageant, an exhibition of bis stroke and, no less, of bis proud personality. We could have been forgiven for forgetting that the. match was at stake' while he was batting.

his ultimate effect was to take it beyond England's reach and leave them dependent upon the weather for survival. Anyone doubting the influence of Richards has only to know that from' the moment he walked' to the wicket, 'West Indies; have added 180 for 36 overs. Like the grand old Duke of York's men, these West Indians are up when they are up, and it is their captain who has taken them there: When he went in, on Friday evening, flexing his back and shoulders, Richards had threatened something special. He let his first ball past, and did not score until his sixth. There is still so much greatness in that physique that he has only to touch his cap to the mortal' convention of playing himself in: lip service is all the Gods require.

Yesterday morning Richards had time for ho more than one boundary from the six balls smile: GVaff overwhelms Zvereva 6-0, 6-0. Joker can be the ace THE men's singles trophy at the French Open is called the Musketeers' Cup. How appropriate if Henri Leconte, the closest to a tennis musketeer France has produced since Lacoste, Borotra, Cochet and Brug-non in the swashbuckling Twenties, could lift that cup this afternoon. Between Leconte and glory stands the muscular, uncompromising figure of Mats Wilander, appearing in his Henry Cecil, who was winning the Oaks for the second 'time, had said before the race 'I think Diminuendo is a certainty. She is only a small filly but she is all.

Sheikh Mohammed, who was winning his third Oaks in the space of four years, was delighted because he had picked the filly out himself and had bought her for 120,000 guineas. The Sheikh wnn the rare Inst vpnr with Terrier Terry's dogged day fifth French. final jil jake Service without a DIMINUENDO turned the Gold Seal Oaks into a pro- cession at Epsom yesterday afternoon once the- horses had reached the straight. Bahamian, ridden by Pat Eddery, was making'for home, but then Steve Cauthen produced the Diminuendo, with a devastating, run. It was an outstanding performance because she completely dominated her field, while Cauthen's fears that one and a maximum distance proved groundless.

lamian weakened, W4tfl te movea up on' Luca Cumani's Sudden Love and immediately there were prospects of that firm completing the DerbvOaks dou ble. But for Sudden Love to win the Oaks Diminuendo had to weaken as she met the hill and, far from doing that, she ran on with tremendous gusto. In the end Sudden Love was beaten four lengths while two lengths back-in third came the French outsider, Animatrice. That she beat her compatriot Indian Rose by two and a half lengths came as no surprise to her rider, Gary Moore, who was proved right when he said that Animatrice, beaten a length by Indian Rose last time out in France, would reverse placings. RONALD ATKIN discusses prospects -for the men's final hustle and' hammer the phlegmatic Wilander until he cracks, as Ivan Lend! did in last year's final.

'I must serve well, this will be the said Leconte. 1 must keep on playing my offensive game and come to the net but to play on clay like that is difficult, you must Leconte nas bum a tation as the joker of the circuit and' a preference 'for clowning' rattttr'tfikn concentrating has caused the egalitarian Parisians to regard him with amusement instead of the awe in which they hold Yannick Noah, the last Frenchman to win the title'in 1983. 'Henri is just is how one -Paris sports journalist put it. Perhaps not quite so silly any more. In February, after losing badly to Boris Becker in Milan, Leconte slammed his fist against the dressing-room wall and broke a ringer.

The enforced rest enabled him, he claims, to evaluate his attitudes. 'Before then, I used to be all over the he admit- bowled before rain ruled out the rest of the session. Play resumed at 2 o'clock after a brisk wind and a brass band had kept the near-capacity crowd awake, and it lasted until 4.45, which was time enough. Within three overs of the resumption, Gatting had been forced to post a fielder at deep extra-cover so dominant was Richards from the outset. He smote Jarvis over cover and mid-off.

to bring about this change and took 10 from the over, without the young York-sbireman being mtimidated. Richards lost Haynes when the patient opener was caught off his glove from a lifting ball, the keeper falling half forward. Richards and Haynes so turned the match on head that they, scored. .75 together from 13 overs, the games's cruising. speed having been less, than two and half runs an over until that point.

Hooper did not slouch either. Capped, not helmeted like his captain, Hooper straight drove twice for four in the last over of Jarvis's spell. ENGLAND: First Innings 0 A Gooch Marshall .73 Broad Marahall 5 anting Logte 0 1 Cower Duon Prlngle Marahall Oownton not Emburey Duon Marahall 0 AJ OeFreltae Jarab) Ambroaa Dlllay bAmbroaa. Eatraa IMS, rt, lib 11, at Total 24S Fall of wickets: 1-128, 2-141. 3-181, 4-181, 5-1SS, S-223.

7-223, 8-218, 9.243. Bowling: Marahall 30-44; Pattar-aon 1S-2-4M; Ambroaa 2H 0-53-4; Wslsh 204-39-0; Hoopar 8-1-20-0; Rteh-: ardB 1-0-2-0. WEST INDIES: Fast Innings Haynaa Oownton Jama -80 A Richard Oooch Datralbw Hoopar not ...47 Logia not Eitraa Total(4wkta) i ...284 Fall wlekabK a-159, 4-21. Bowling: Dlllty 13.3-2-47-0; Dtlral- Wnsta II-MM; Emburay 782-1. DEREK WALLIS particularly impressively but without luck! Just -as the crowd were becoming distracted by aircraft flying inland out of Speke the occasional sortie by a helicopter; Terry opened his shoulders and smote Foliey for six.

On a now benign wicket, Terry and his captain, Nicholas, continued in patient mood. Nicholas was slightly the more adventurous until he attempted a mighty hit against Simmons and was stumped smartly by Hegg. Terry, who reached, his 50 in the fifty-sixth overj had no intention of being rash, tkougb'he did. survive av sharp chance to slip off Foliey soon after lunch. The advent of the more aggressive Robin Smith unproved the crowd humour.

He played some delightful shots, notably at the expense of Simmons, whose nickname of: Flat Jack appears slightly incongruous in view of his increasing girth. (3-38) had caused havoc earlier in the Innings. Derbyshire captain Kim Barnett held two' close-in catches off Devon Malcolm and had. Alan Wells leg before as Sussex struggled to 130 for four at Horsham before' bad light and rain forced an early tea. Rehan Alikhan hit 56, his highest score of the season, and Neil iiiiam 62, to help Sussex to 247 for six.

Alan Butcher (52) and John Hopkins (61), the Glamorgan openers, both completed their- first championship half-centuries of the season against Kent at Cardiff. Matthew Maynard, gunning for a place in the England team, was out for just a single. Glamorgan Kent .1 AtCardirl Qlsmorgsn won toss OLAMOROAN: First Innings A Butcher Herman Cowdrey (Q) ..52 A Hopkins Oavla Cowdrey (C) ...61 Morris Cowdrey (C) ....0 Maynard Pienaar 1 J.Shsstri st Marsh Dsvls 20 Holmes Harman 34 Ontong not out 76 Thomas Marsh Davis 14 Derrick not out 5 Ijsxtres (05, IbS, nbl) ...11 Toialf7wkie) jm ol wickets: 1-88, 2-97. 3-104. Score at 100 overs 197 lor 6 Bonus points: Glam 1, Kent 2 Lancashire v.

Hampshire At Liverpool Hampshire won toss HAMPSHIRE: First Innings Tarry Mendls Hayhurst 74 Smith Hughes Simmons 24 Nicholas st Hegg Simmons 31 A Smith run out 29 Turner Atkinson 11 Ayling not out 68 Parks Ibw Foliey 11 Jelferies not out 26 Extras (b2. Ib9) 11 Total (S wkta) Fall of wickets: 4-167. 5-198, 6-237. 285 1-36. 2-114.

3-163. Score at 100 ovars: 218-5 Bonus points: Lance 2, Hants 2 No play yesterday Lerw'e: Middlesex Worcester Witander, the champion 1982 and 1985, is, die toughest', player in the 'world to beat over five sets on clay, as the exciting new, American, Andre Agassi, discovered in Friday's semi-finals. A protracted match would mean Leconte failing to improve on his record of two victories over the Swede in their 10 previous meetings but patience never was one of his strong points. 'He just shuts his eyes and grumbled a bewildered Jonas B. Svensson, Lecoiite's semi-final victim.

But, as the 24-year-old left-hander from Lille freely admits: 'There is no way I can stay on the baseline. It bores So his tactic will be to Blaster JEREMY BATES, the British No. 1, was warned twice for dissent on his way to defeat by Kevin Curren of the United States in the semi-finals of the Holiday Inn Northern Grass Court Tournament at Manchester yesterday. For Curren, who was later defeated 6-3, 6-4 by Sweden's Edberg in the final, Bates's outburst was a The British player led 4-1 in the opening set but in the sixth game he allowed himself to be upset when the umpire overruled a point in Curren's favour. Then, after dropping his service in the seventh, he Bates bombs out Elements of athletics ted.

'Now I am more confident and I concentrate 'Since coming back from that injury Leconte has lost only two out of 21 matches and survived three punishing five-setters on Us way to the final here. Wilander, however, is in ominously solid form at the end of his Paris fortnight. As Agassi said: 'Mais is the toughest to play on clay, not because he' is physically the strongest butto beeausej hv" works you harder than, any body else. ne moves arouuB.sowMrb As winner of the Australian Open in January, Wilander is the only man with a hope of completing the run of all four Grand Slam titles this year. He has yet to win two in the same year and is content to let that be his target 'With Lend! gone I can't think there is a bigger chance for he said.

'As soon as Lendl lost I felt I was favourite to he said. Hard though Paris will be rooting for Leconte this afternoon, it is difficult to disagree with Wilander's assessment.) Mac's back: Page 18 tainly help me in my bid for Wimbledon. I've had an extra week on grass on most of my rivals, which could give me an advantage for the Stella Artois at Queen's next week." The American left-hander Ronhi Reis won the women's singles title, when she beat Hester Witvoet of the Netherlands 6-7, 6-4, 6-2. The ambitions of Monique Javer, the 20-year-old ifbrmer Californian resident who has become British tennis's latest and most promising acquis-tion, were stifled at Becken-ham yesterday when rain washed out her semi-final with Ann Henricksson of the US. It will be played this morning, weather permitting.

rhythm that was disrupted by the wholesale changes. Rush scored the decisive goal in the 37th minute when Wales upset Italy by 1-0 in Brescia last night. What seemed to the home fans as rough and aggressive soccer was more than the Italians could cope with. West Germany, preparing to open the European Championships against Italy on Friday, dominated play but could only draw 1-1 against Yugoslavia in Bremen in front of a 13,000 crowd. They fell behind in the 14th minute when Baljic scored from a deflected free kick, but Mat-thaeus equalised 20 minutes into the second half after a solo run.

Lothar Matthaeus equalized in the 65th minute after a solo run through the Yugoslav defence. European Championship preview: page 18 I RICHARD BAERLEIN at Epsom Indian Rose had been one of the gambles of the race, hav- ing been backed down from 33-1, and was particularly strongly supported on the course, coming down to 5-1. The (liftnnnintiTlnr nf tfii abaweyaa, who fin- ifHi inii. one iutu luusocu one and a half Ienaths in front of Dihiinndb when both were 'Beaten try Kavmella in the GA 1,000 Guineas, but she was easy in the market yesterday and started at 4-1. Dabaweyaa had been the early 'favourite for the Oaks after her second in the Guineas, but Diminuendo' took her place after winning the Musi--dora stakes at in impressive fashion.

DIMINUENDO .2. Sudden Lav 3. Anlmatnc 7-4 fav 11-1 20-1 11 ran. 4. Indian Roto 9-2.

Rlddan: Steve Cauthen Trained: Henry Cecil Sheikh Mohammed DlttancM-. 41, 21. Tote: 2.80; 1.60. 1.90, 2.00. OF: 7.20.

CSF: 10.52. Non Runner: Sparrow's Air. CHRIS BRASHER at Derby straight. Nevertheless, there was a great final to the men's 100 metres. The two sprinters, Elliott Biinney and Jamie Henderson, both from Edinburgh Southern Harriers, had been the winners of the semi-final, but when they got into the set position for the final, Bunney was too anxious and broke.

Mike McFarlane was the next 1. i tune of asking, it was Bunney again and that meant he was disqualified. He said that he was dis- traded by one of the discus officials blowing a horn and he felt that the starter was holding them too long. Indeed, that was the general view: 'Something over two seconds is quite long enough to be held but this starter was holding us for three said John Regis afterwards. Eventually, they got off at the fifth attempt and at the 60-metre mark it was Henderson, gold medallist in last year's European Junior Championship, who led by a good metre.

But Regis is looking even stronger than he did last year and he hauled him back over those last 40 metres to win in 10.65sec, with Henderson on 10.67 and the high hurdler, Colin Jackson of Cardiff, third in 10.69. The wind was against them and near the legal limit, so we should not take much notice of those times. Afterwards, Regis said that he is using the 100 metres to sharpen him up. in the next two months, but his target for the Olympics is the 200 metres and his ambition is nothing less than the gold medal. 'I'd ON A DAY when the cricket matched the weatherwbright intervals rnixed with (dismal spells Hampshire- if unspectacular, tmseress at 1 against a mean Lancashire attack.

Though- the, sun was more evident as the afternoon wore on, there was little sign of Hampshire making a more adventurous effort, and they were clearly determined not to be forced into a situation where they had to save the. match, as they had against Somerset a day earlier. i One of Hampshire's saviours in. that, game was Paul. Terry, who scored his first hundred of the season, and yesterday he produced another innings that demanded monuj-.

mental' both from him and from a crowd more accustomed to watching Liver-pool score quickfire goals. By lunch Hampshire had scored 69 off 41 overs for the loss of Chris Smith, caught at forward short leg off the crafty Simmons, with Terry having 27. Aiiott bowled I 33SBEiE Surrey captain Ian Greig took three for four in his first two overs as Yorkshire crashed to 18 for five at Harrogate. Keith Medlycort added to the damage with two more wickets before rain brought relief to Yorkshire at 57 for seven'. When play resumed Phil Robinson Arnle Sidebottom patched up some of Yorkshire's wounds with an unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 47.

Northampton's West Indian seamer Winston Davis took five for 92 as Somerset struggled to 215 all but at Taunton. Acting captain, Vic Marks, dropped when 14, blasted a quickfire 43 which included six fours off 63 balls after Davis and Duncan Wild 1 Somerset NorHiantt At Taunton Noilhanla won loss SOMERSET: Brat huitnga A Fallon Bailey Davis 5 Wyatt Bailey Wild 30 Hardy Riplay Davis .12 Waugh Larkins 37 RJBsrtlattlbwbWIld: ..0 'N Burns low ..8 Marks Fordham Davis 43 Rose Riplay Capel Dredga 37 A Jonas Larkins Wild 10 Foster not out 8 Extras (M. Ib14, wl. nb1) Total (S3.4 overs). 215 Fall ol wickets: 1-7, 2-37, 3-85, 4-95, S-9S.

8-121, 7-143. 8i177. 9-201 Bowling: Davie. 24-6-92-5: Capel 17-3-52-2; wild 14.4-3-38-3: Walker 2-1-6-0; Cook 4-1-7-0; Williams 2-0-3-0 Bonus peMK Somerset 2, Nor-OianbM. N0RTHANT8: First tailings A Fordham Waugh Rose 4 Larkins Hsrdy Rose i 7 Bailey not out 58 Gouldstona Burns Waugh ....16 Capal not out i 29 Exlraa (b2.

IbS. nb8) 15 Total (3 wits: 4S overs) Fall ol wickets: 1-5. 2-16, 3-53. Warwickshire Notts At EdgbestonNoninghsmshlra won toss WARWICKSHIRE: First Innings A Moles Scott Cooper 5 A Lloyd Newell Cairns 11 Aall Din Cairns 6 A Storle not out 56 Humpsga Saxelby Cairns 58 A Smith not out 35 Extras (02. Ib5.

w3. nb4) 14 Total (4 wkta: 61 overs) Fall ot wickets: 1-17. 2-25. 4-124. 3-38.

Lancashire made Hampshire's task all the more difficult, with sharp fielding, "disguising the fact thaf tluieef then- players are over 40, but if this was a trae measure! tf the visitors' batting it is not surprising that have totalled only four bonus points so far this season. Their fifth soon followed, but Smith was out unluckily at 163. when Terry played Hay-hurst straight back down the wicket. Hayhurst reached for the ball and touched it, leaving the batsman out of his. ground as it tut.

the at the bowler's end; Terry followed him back at 167, caught at deep square''' leg for 74 off Hayhurst 'after more than four hours at the crease. Hampshire's laborious progress continued after tea, though the tall, 20-year-old -Ayling iUuminated the proceedings and belied his youth with some lusty shots in compiling an attractive half-cen- tury his second in successive-, days which showed how amiable the wicket really was. Vic Marks: Page 19 HFC UK Championships (Derby); Scottish Combined Championships (Ayr 11) MOTOR RACING. Brands Hatch. Kent (1.30); Sneltarton, Norfolk (2); Oonington.

Derby (1.30); Sllverslons, Northants(11). EQUESTRIANISM; Nations Cup meeting HlcksteadSussex); Three-Day event! Branham.Yorks). QOLF: Dunhlll British Mssters -(Wobum): WPGA Classic (Wlrrall). JUDO: Southern Areas BJA Open Grades (NSC.Crystal Palace). LAWN TENNIS: Holiday Inns Northern Tournament Didsbury.

(Beckenham). Stars Open Championship (Weymouth): Irish Squibs Championship (Cultra). RALLYCROSS; British Championship (Cadwall Park 12). BOWLS. England Trial (Nottingham); Bass Fosseway Open Fours (Bath); Skegness Open Tournament (Federation): U-40's League: Devon Gloucester (Tiverton); Jack High Singles Championship (jordanstown Co Antrln).

Yorkshire Surrey At Harrogate Yorkshire won toss YORKSHIRE: First Innings Moxon Smith Blcknall 5 A A Metcalfe Richards Feltham .....3 Blakey Medlycort ..4 Shsrp Ibw Greig Love Ward Qrelg .....0 Robinson not out I Swallow and ....17 Carrlck Feltham Medlycott 3 A Sidebottom not out 22 Extras (IbS, nb2) 6 Total (7 wkts: 52 overs) ..103 Fall ol wickets: 1-6, 2-11. 3-15. 4-15. 5-18. 6-48.

7-56. Sussex Derbyshire At Horsham Sussex won toss SU83CX First Innings Alikhan Ibw Warner. sa A Green Barnett Malcolm ...0 Parker Barnett Malcolm ....25 A Wells Ibw Barnett 38 Wells st Msher Barnett 18 Lenhsm maher mortensen ...62 IJ Gould not out ji Kimber not out a Extras (bl. Ib9, w2, 23 Total (6 wkts: 97 overs) ,.247 Fall ol wickets: 1-7. 2-30, 3-84 TODAY'S MATCHES REFUGE ASSURANCE LEAGUE.

(2.0-7.0 unless stated): Merttiyr TydtU: Glamorgan Kent; Old Tralford: Lancashire Hampshire; Lord's: Mlddle-ssx Worcestershire Taunton: Somerset Northamptonshire: Hor-shsm: Sussex Derbyshire: Edgbas-ton: Warwickshire Nottinghamshire: Haadbigssy: Yorkshire Surrey. Scimitarra, trained Cecil, oroKe coming to win we xi i i i. In 1985, the Sheikh won with Oh So Sharp, who won even more easily than Diminuendo. She then went on to complete the fillies' Triple Crown by winning the St Leger against the colts. She had previously won the 1,000 Guineas by a short-head.

There is no doubt that Diminuendo has made steady progress throughout the season-and' is the outstanding three-year-old filly this year. Against members of her own sex she is unlikely ever to be beaten. the tune yesterday was 1.16 seconds slower than the Derby, but the ground had changed from good to firm to good during the morning after heavy thunderstorms. Aga's legacy: Page19 really like to win that gold and break 20 seconds, at the same he said. Britain has a very good bunch of men sprinters at the moment, but among the vnnun.

Paula Thinn is -'in rAaco nf lu- num Cha il.nn ttia I 100 metres by a good three metres in 11.49, from Mary Berkeley, who recorded 11.76. The shock of day -was the defeat of Jon Ridgeon, the. silver medallist in the 110 metres world He was beaten over the high hurdles by his Haringey club-mate, Tony Jarrett, who, at IV, is two years younger than ZrTow time of 13.97sec. Ridgeon would not give any excuses except to say that he. felt totally 'washed out'.

That is not surprising because he oiuy nnisnea ms exams at Cambridge last Monday and then had jabs, in preparation for the trip to Korea, for unpleasant diseases, such as cholera and typhoid. His time was 14.20, which he says 'must be the second or third slowest time in my whole career. It's quite WOMEN. 100m: 1 Dunn (Stratford) 11.49; 2 Berkeley (Croydon) 11.76; 3 Short (Torteen) 11.82. 100m hurdlea: 1 Groan (Hallamshlre) 13.71; 2 Bakar (Darby) 13.83; 3 Motley (Cardiff) 1343.

3000m: VM Watson (Swindon) 2 Hunter (Blaydon) 3 Morris (Easax) 9:05.88. 5000m Walk: 1 Sworowakl (Sheffield) 24. mlnutas 03.38 sacs; 2 Drake (Brighton) Jackson (Trowbridge) 24:19.41. MEN. Discus (Final): 1 Mardle (Wolverhampton and Bllston) 59.42 metres; 2 Gordon (Wolverhampton and Bllston) 56.32: 3 Harrington (Blrchtleld) 53.32.

100m: 1 Regie (Bel-grave) 10.65; 2 Henderson (Edinburgh Southern) 10.87; 3 Jackson (Cardiff) 10.69. Wm hurdles: 1 A Jarrett (Haringay) 13.97: 2 Ridgeon (Haringey) 14.20; 3 Taape (Enfield) 1431. 1 MHarrls (Portsmouth) 2 8arton (Blackheath) 13.52.48; 3 A Brlitow (Brighton) 13:52.96. Mane: 1 Mardle (Wolverhampton) 59.42 metres; 2 Gordon (Wolverhampton) 56.32; 3 Harrington (Blrchtleld) 53.32. 1 Smith (Hull) 70.68; 2 Head (Newham) 87.40; 3 Jonaa (Wast London) 66.80.

Long lump: 1 Brown (Haringey) 7.91 metres: 2 Forsythe (Royal Ulster Constabulary) 7.83: 3 Johnson (Long-wood) 7.82. High lump: 1 Parsons (London) 2.25: 2 Grant (Haringey) 2.20: 3 Pierre (Haringay) 2.15. Pol vault: 1 A Ashurst (Sale) 5.10: 2 Johnson (Haringey) 5.00; 3 equal Edwards (Aldershot) and Stock (Haringay) 4.80. Shot: 1 Savory (Black-heath) 17.95; 2 Edwards (Walton) 17.13: 3 Jennings (Hull) 17.12 England's Aylesbury ducks THE infant -1988 athletics season took its first steps in Seville last Wednesday, when the temperature was well over 100F, and its second step yesterday in Derby, with the temperature a good su degrees cooler ana witn scudding, black clouds' peri odically dropping buckets ot water on to the unfortunate competitors in the HFC Bank UK Championships, the first major meet this Olympic season. Only two of Britain's semor gold medallists, Daley Thompson, the Olympic decathlon champion, and Fatima Whit-bread, the world women's javelin champion, were billed to appear but Thompson must nave bad advance warnine from the weather man and, wisely, chose, to stay away trom the pole vault.

Whitbread, however, braved the monsoon lorut enough to throw the javelin once, a distance 'of 66.44 metres, to qualify for today's final, when she will be keen to show the world that she has wintered well. On Friday evenine in the East German town of Tena. Whitbread great rival, Petra Felke, was near her own world record with a throw of 78.14 metres. Indeed, the East Ger man women gave warning that thev are aware that this is Olympic year, when three others, Petra Muller (400 metres in Umstine Wachtel (800 metres in lmin 57.09sec), and Cornelia Ulrich (400-metre hurdles in 54.811 recorded the best performances of the year. There could be no best ner- formances of the year in Derby, with a cold, strone wind adding to the misery particularly of the short distance runners, who had it against them in the finishing spoke sharply to the official and was warned.

Having dropped his serve again for 5-6, Bates banged his racket into the ground at 30-30 in the following game and was warned again and automatically deducted a penalty point. This took Curren to set point and the tall South African-born American citizen immediately served an ace. Bates then stopped, complaining that the umpire was too officious. The referee, Colin Hess, told him play on. After an hour's break for rain, and with Bates's concentration gone, Curren won in comfort.

After the final, Edberg said: 'This tournament should cer I aaaraa. FRANK McGHEE of-the-match by Trevor Gould, the Aylesbury manager and brother of Wimbledon's boss Bobby, who once played for the England Youth team with Peter Shilton. It was to Aylesbury's credit that they managed to give that great goalkeeper a couple of frights but generally it has to be conceded that the inevitable gap in class became a chasm as the match progressed. Aylesbury's twin difficulties were first getting the ball and then keeping it in a first half packed with classy movements from the England team. It degenerated slightly in the second half when Robson kept his word and sent on eight replacements to give every player a game, but with Aylesbury tiring they could take no advantage of the Check for LiMewoods.Vernbna and BOBBY ROBSON used all 19 fit players in his European Championship squad to beat non-League Aylesbury United rather more easily than even the one-sided 7-0 scoreline suggests.

In fact, for some of the second half, England played with only nine men after Trevor Steven and Chris Waddle left the field with minor niggling strains more a precaution than anything to worry about. To finish with 10 men, England had to bring back Beardsley who promptly scored his fourth goal. Gary Lineker, Dave Watson and Steven were the other England scorers in a game which precisely fulfilled its requirement. Bobby Robson, the England manager, was persuaded to agree to it by a reminder that these sort of games were used by the great Hungarians of the Fifties to sharpen their scoring hunger. It certainly did that for Beardsley, nominated as man- 2nera.

Score draw draw 2pta.aw8y win pta, home win 1 pi..