Steffi and William?
NZPA London The Wimbledon women’s singles tennis champion, Steffi Graf, has been asked to coach a future King of England, according to a report in a West German newspaper. The West German, who won the Grand Slam of the four major titles last year, was asked by the Princess of Wales if she would give some hints to her eldest son, Prince William. The seven-year-old, next in line to the throne after his father, Prince Charles, is keen on tennis, according to Graf. “She (Princess Diana) told me William was absolutely mad about tennis,” Graf told a German newspaper. “She has asked me several times if I would give him an
hour’s lesson. “Of course, I will if I get the chance. I told her I shall treat him more gently than I did Martina Navratilova.” Graf won the Wimbledon title for the second consecutive year by beating eighttime champion Navratilova 62, 6-7, 6-1. Prince William and his younger brother, Prince Harry, are having lessons at the Vanderbilt Club in West London, where Graf and Princess Diana played mixed doubles last year. “She was very good — she surprised me,” Graf said of the princess’s tennis ability. Meanwhile, the beaten Wimbledon finalist, Stefan Edberg, was named for the Swedish Davis Cup tennis team to meet Yugoslavia in the world group semi-final in Bastad from July 21 to 23.
Also in the squad are Mats Wilander, Jonas Svensson and Anders Jarryd, who won the Wimbledon doubles title with Australian John Fitzgerald. Non-playing captain Jonte Sjogren said: “It’s a good team with Edberg and Wilander constituting a strong base. Both have been playing well recently and they are. in good form.”
Sweden are fancied to beat the Yugoslavs, who include 18-year-old Goran Ivanisevic, and reach their seventh Davis Cup final in succession. Last year they lost to West Germany in Gothenburg. Sjogren said: "We are favourites and there is no reason to think we won’t win this one. But Ivanisevic is a very promising young player.
“Sometimes these- young ones can change the rankings completely in just a month.”
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Press, 19 July 1989, Page 33
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349Steffi and William? Press, 19 July 1989, Page 33
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