From - Mon Nov 04 13:40:24 1996
Subject: Graf alone at number one, Capriati rises to 27th in rankings
Organization: Copyright 1996 by SportsTicker Enterprises L.P.

SPORTSTICKER TENNIS NOTE


Jennifer Capriati's surprising victory over Monica Seles in the semifinals of the Ameritech Cup in Chicago Saturday has had a major impact on the latest WTA Tour rankings.

Steffi Graf is alone atop the rankings today for the first time since August 21, 1995. Since that time, Graf has shared the top spot with Seles. Graf has held the number one ranking for a record total 357 weeks.

The loss to Capriati contributed to Seles dropping back to number two, a position she shares with Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. As a condition of the ranking protection offered her upon her return to tennis last August, Seles is co-ranked with the player directly below her in average ranking points.

Graf has an average of 335.7857 ranking points to Seles' 322.8273. Sanchez Vicario is far back with 202.4711.

The ranking protection remains in effect until February, 1997 or until Seles plays 14 tournaments in a calendar year. She has played 11 thus far in 1996. Seles received the special consideration due to the on-court stabbing in 1993 which sidelined her for 27 months. Capriati also left tennis after the 1993 U.S. Open, but for entirely different reasons. Battling drug and legal problems, she played sparingly the last two years before embarking on a comeback this spring.

Ranked 50th entering last week's tournament, Capriati has jumped to 27th thanks to her first appearance in a final since the 1993 Canadian Open. The 20-year-old has ranked as high as number six in the world and was the year-end number nine in 1993. She fellout of the rankings in 1994 and 1995 and broke back in at number 103 earlier this year.