Tennis: Muster slams claims of retirement

THOMAS MUSTER confounded the seedings yesterday when he became the first player to reach the third round of the German Open in Hamburg and then launched a scathing attack on claims that he was ready to retire.

Muster won a battle of former French Open champions against the third- seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia and then said he had the feeling that "people have been trying to bury me alive".

Muster was incensed at an item on the official ATP website, which was the opinion of a doctor who Muster said had not seen him for six months. "I read on the ATP Internet that I was preparing for retirement, which is bullshit," Muster said.

British No 1 Greg Rusedski is the No 2 seed for the Stella Artois Championships. Tim Henman is sixth seed for the event at the Queen's Club, London, starting on June 8.