SPORTING DIGEST Tennis

Tennis

Greg Rusedski starts as favourite in the Guardian Direct national championships in Telford next week. At No 43, he is 1,202 places above his first opponent, 19-year-old Colin Bennett of Ross-on-Wye, in the world rankings. Rusedski is scheduled for a semi-final against Mark Petchey, who beat him in the Stella Artois tournament. Jeremy Bates, chasing a seventh national title and the fourth in succession, will start against Nick Weal of Hampshire and is seeded to meet Tim Henman in the semi-finals. Brighton's Clare Wood will begin her quest for a third women's title against Banbury's Claire Taylor, while Lizzie Jelfs, the second seed, starts against Jane Wood of Enfield.