Gabriela Sabatini

Pam Shriver obviously is a persuasive recruiter. For the seventh straight year, she is bringing some of the best players in women's tennis to Baltimore.At a news conference today, she will announce that Martina Navratilova, Gabriela Sabatini and Mary Joe Fernandez will join her for the First National Bank Tennis Festival at the Baltimore Arena on Nov. 24.This year, more than ever, area children will benefit. During the first four years of the tournament, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation was the sole beneficiary.

BaseballMilwaukee Brewers -- Sent OF Kenny Felder and C Bobby Hughes to their minor-league camp for reassignment.Bowie Baysox (Double-A) -- Named Jon Danos, who worked two seasons for the Single-A Frederick Keys, assistant GM.BasketballGolden State Warriors -- Signed F Pat Durham to a 10-day contract.Los Angeles Lakers -- Placed F Alex Blackwell on the injured list. Activated G-F Doug Christie.Milwaukee Bucks -- Activated G Todd Day from the injured list. Placed F Orlando Woolridge on the injured list.

WIMBLEDON, England -- Loser. The label stuck to Gabriela Sabatini, this one-time teen-age phenom who couldn't make the transition to adult star.She had all the tennis shots that any woman would want, an elegant backhand made to slice and spin, a flinty forehand filled with power, and a twisting serve that made opponents dance to her beat. But her game creaked and cracked before the finals, sending her home to Buenos Aires in tears."I always believed I could get better," she said.So she went out and got a new coach, a new style and a new label.

SYDNEY, Australia -- Emilio Sanchez upset defending champion Guy Forget, 6-3, 6-4, yesterday for the men's title in the New South Wales Open.Sanchez's sister, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, advanced to women's final today for the second year in a row, outlasting Anke Huber of Germany, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, in a two-hour battle.Top-seeded Gabriela Sabatini won the other semifinal, overpowering Mary Joe Fernandez, the No. 4 seed, 6-2, 6-3.Emilio Sanchez, seeded seventh, did not lose a set in five matches as he won his 15th career singles title.

Capriati, P. McEnroe roll in Australian OpenAmerican Jennifer Capriati, 15, won her Australian Open debut today, defeating Natalia Medvedeva of Ukraine, 6-2, 6-0 in 44 minutes. Patrick McEnroe, stuck this time on the same side of the draw as older brother John, joined two-time champion Ivan Lendl as an easy, straight-sets winner in the first round of the tournament, the year's first Grand Slam tennis event.Patrick McEnroe defeated Italy's Massimo Cierro, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Lendl beat Australian Richard Fromberg, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. Becker of Germany stopped Jan Gunnarsson, 6-1,6-4,6-2.

From the beginning, Pam Shriver has wanted the First National Bank of Maryland Tennis Festival to benefit children in Baltimore."It was my hope to really try to touch this community as much as possible," she said, before introducing the Baltimore Community Foundation as the organization that will handle the dispersement of funds to local charities."

MELBOURNE, Australia -- MaliVai Washington of the U.S. shocked second seed Michael Stich today in the first round of the Australian Open.Stich, a semifinalist in Melbourne last year and the No. 2 player in the world, was forced into repeated errors at the net by Washington's low returns.Washington, an American ranked 26th in the world, defeated the German 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. He lost his serve only in the third set."It's not like he won the match," Stich said. "I gave it to him."No. 8 seed Petr Korda of the Czech Republic also was ousted today, losing in straight sets to Thomas Enqvist of Sweden.

Dale Long, who set a major league record with home runs in eight consecutive games in 1956, died Sunday in Palm Coast, Fla., after a long bout with cancer. He was 64.Long spent 11 years in the major leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Washington Senators and New York Yankees.His record string of homers began in Pittsburgh on May 19, 1956, off Jim Davis of the Chicago Cubs. It ended on May 28 with his eighth homer, off Carl Erskine of the Brooklyn Dodgers at Forbes Field. The record was tied by Don Mattingly of the New York Yankees in 1987.

WIMBLEDON, England -- Her right wrist aches, her back could give out at any time and she hasn't won a grass-court match in two years.So, of course, Steffi Graf, the five-time champion, is the overwhelming favorite to claim the Wimbledon women's title.With Martina Navratilova out of the Wimbledon singles draw for the first time since 1972, Graf is expected to carry the show this year. She'll even add a little spice to the doubles, teaming with Navratilova, who is here to plug a mystery novel and work as a television commentator.

Spanish League teams cut Sampson, ColemanRalph Sampson, who had been hoping to work himself into shape for another shot at the NBA, was cut yesterday by Unicaja Ronda of Malaga, Spain.Sampson, who played earlier this season with the Washington ** Bullets, is one of several Americans who will be missing from the Spanish League playoffs this weekend.Ben Coleman (Maryland) was released by FC Barcelona after leading the team to the quarterfinals of the European Cup, and forward Harold Pressley (Villanova)