Tennis: Seles giggles her way back to top of the world

The giggle is loud and clear and we shall be only too delighted to hear the grunt again. Monica Seles is about to return to the scene for the first time since she was stabbed in the back two years and three months ago. And for her first six tournaments she will share the world No1 ranking and top seeding with her great rival, Steffi Graf.

"I'm happy about the ranking, of course," Seles said last night. "All along I said I would play, either way, and I'm very happy that the players are happy with the proposals."

Seles is due to take her first steps back into action by playing Martina Navratilova in an exhibition match in Atlantic City on Saturday week. She then intends to play at least one WTA Tour event, in San Diego, Los Angeles or Toronto before competing at the United States Open, which starts on 28 August. "To start at the US Open as my first tournament back would be a crazy thing for me to do," she said.

Navratilova, in her role as president of the Women's Tennis Association Tour Players' Association, has been instru-mental in forging an agreement concerning Seles's ranking. Seles was the world No 1, with eight Grand Slam titles to her name, when her brilliant career was halted by Gunther Parche, a fanatical Graf supporter, during a change-over while playing in Hamburg in April 1993.

"The only fair way was for Monica to come back as No 1, which is how she left," Navratilova said. "Her skills have not diminished. It would be insane not to have her seeded and have the possibility of her playing Steffi Graf or Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the first or second round of tournaments.

"None of the players had a problem with Monica coming back co-seeded and co-ranked No1 for six tournaments. They were not sure how it would work after six tournaments. There were some misunderstandings and misconceptions by the top players and their agents. The bottom line is that the players do want Monica back, but don't fully understand the ranking system. An announcement will be made tomorrow or Friday, and full details will follow."

The most obvious physical change in the 21-year-old Seles is that she has grown by an inch and a half to 5ft 11in. "I hope my serve will be a bit better because of my height," she said, "and I'm going to try to volley better. I'll still stay back a lot, because I'm comfortable there. But when I practised with Martina she told me I'm volleying well. This gives me a lot of confidence. I'll try not to be afraid to go to the net, but get in there and be like a goalkeeper!"

A light-hearted mood prevailed throughout the media conference given by Seles and Navratilova to publicise their match, which will take place on a fast Supreme carpet court in the 9,000-seat Atlantic City Convention Centre.

"I'm sure I'll be nervous, but excited, too," Seles said. "You can practise a lot, but when you play a match it's different. You feel the crowd and the pressure and become more anxious in making the points. Every ball counts."

John McEnroe had sugg-ested during Wimbledon that it would be politic for Navratilova to allow Seles to win their match. "I think it's a bunch of baloney," Seles said. "It was a very ridiculous thought to cross his mind. It was way out of line. I just had to laugh."

Navratilova said: "I think John has taken that remark back. He realised he was talking off the top of his head, without anything to substantiate what he was saying."

But would she go into the match with mixed emotions, as a player and as a president. "Sounds like Clinton: will she run - no!" Navratilova responded. "I'll be playing as Martina against Monica, and I hope I hold my own. It's a win-win situation. I'm playing against the No 1 player in the world, and I'm just a retired old has-been. Monica's going to come back, and she's going to be awesome."

Seles was rueful when asked if she was about to embark on the second half of her career. "In some ways, yes," she said. "After I won the Australian Open in 1993 it was the first time I was happy being No1. Then this whole thing happened."

Thinking ahead to competing again in the four Grand Slam championships, the tournaments she has missed most, she said: "That's when I raise the level of my game the most. But I've not played well at Wimbledon, ever. I hope I have a chance one year to play well there."

Tarango's protest, page 24