The Kansas City Star from Kansas City, Missouri • 22

Uv The NHL a Monday June 6 1994 C-O The Kansas City Star Tennis Sanchez Vicario ends fun FRENCH OPEN In French Open final experience shows helping Spaniard overcome hot player From Star News Services The Associated Prss French Open In Part MEN Stnglu chwnpkxwMp Saral Bruauora (61 Spain dal Albarto Barasatagui Spain 6-3 7-5 2-66-1 DouMaa champtonahlp Byron Black Zlmba-bwe and Jonathan Stark (2) Madlord Ore del Jan Apell and Jonaa Bjorkman (12) Swaden 6-4 7-6 (7-5) WOMEN Slnglea champtoneNp: Arantxa Sanchez VI- carto (2) Spain del Mary Pierce (12) France 6-4 DouMee champion ehlp Olgl Fernandez a Uatalla Tuaraue Ml Ralorntt VWm wiMliyaviiaaiipi wyi Natalia Zvereva Belarus Aapen Cok) and (1) del Lindsay Davenport Murrieta Call! and Use Raymond (11) Wayne Pa 6-2 6-2 MIXED DOUBLES ChampioneMp: Kristie Boogert and Menno Oosting Netherlands del Larisa Nelland Latvia end Andrei Olhovskly (7) Russia 7-5 3-6 7-5 her fourth Grand Slam final think she handled all the circumstances and situations better than I Pierce said Sanchez Vicario said: knew how to handle it There was a lot of pressure for her I was more ready mentally than she was The match started where the players left off Saturday: with Pierce ahead 2-1 and holding a break point Pierce ripped a backhand winner and went up 3-1 The next game proved to be pivotal It lasted 16 minutes went to deuce six times and offered three game points for Pierce and four break points for Sanchez Vicario Sanchez Vicario won it tied the set 3-3 in the next game and rode the momentum to victory were two very tough games for me to lose and that has been the difference the important points the close points when it Pierce said have been winning those and today Arantxa Sanchez Vicario looked forward to the celebration back home is going to be she said Both finals were played on the same day because the match was suspended by rain Saturday after just 17 minutes of play It was the first time since 1979 when the finals were scheduled on separate days for the first time that the two title matches were staged together Pierce showing more happiness on the court now that her father Jim Pierce has been banned from her life and tennis for abusive behavior had lost just 10 games in six matches on the way to the final a French Open record But Pierce cope with Sanchez Vicario the 1989 French Open champion who is probably the quickest and best defensive player in the game Pierce hurt herself by commit- Canucks star Pavel Bure didn't feel much like answering questions after the New York Rangers ripped Vancouver 5-1 Saturday night PARIS Mary Pierce seemed to have everything going for her: momentum home-court advantage and a new happy-go-lucky attitude But it was day not She was soundly beaten 6-4 6-4 Sunday by more experienced Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the final of the French Open was said Pierce who was playing in her first Grand Slam final wanted to win too much I was taking everything too seriously Up until now I have just been enjoying myself but today I was too Pierce 19 failed in her attempt to become the first French woman in 27 years to win the French Open Sanchez Vicario started an unprecedented Spanish sweep that was completed by Sergi victory in the final ting 51 unforced errors compared with 30 for Sanchez Vicario gets a lot of balls Pierce said also fights a lot She never gives you any free points She attack very much but when she has her chances she will Both players agreed that the most important factor was Sanchez edge in experience She is 22 and was playing in Canucks in recovery after rout The New York Times STANLEY CUP Bruguera keeps grip on title in final less than gripping Clay-court specialists from Spain work long hard on baseline games Errors cost Berasategui Final (0u4t-of-7) NY RANGERS 2 VANCOUVER 1 May 31 Vancouver 3 NY Rangara 2 OT June 2: NY Hangars 3-1 Juna 4: NY Rangara 5-1 Tuaaday: at Vancouver 8:08 pm Thursday: at NY Rangara 7:06 pm Saturday at Vancouver' 7:06 pm Tuos Juna 14: at NY Rangara' 7:06 pm II necessary summary Rangsrs 5 Canucks 1 NY Rangers 2 Vancouver 10 First 1 Vancouver Bure 14 (Unden Adams) 1:03 2 New York Leetch 8 13:39 3 New York Anderson 3 (Nemchlnov Beuketooom) 19:19 Second period-4 New York Leetch 9 (TTK -kanen Buekeboom) 18:32 Third 5 New York Larmer 7 :25 8 New York Kovalev 7 (Graves Messier) 13:03 (pp) Shots on New York 9-10-6 25 Vancouver Power-play New York 1 of 7 Vancouver 0 ol 8 New York Richter 14-5 (25 shots-24 saves) Vancouver McLean 13-7 (25-20) Announced 16150 From Star News Services VANCOUVER British Columbia Vancouver Canucks star Pavel Bure felt his chest tightening His breathing was becoming shallow And then someone flipped a switch sending pure oxygen into the hyperbaric chamber An hour later Sunday morning Bure climbed out of the machine As elusive off the ice as he is during a game Bure said: feel all right I like to talk about Then he blasted out the door of the room leaving a vapor trail The exit was about as hasty as the one Bure made Saturday night in game three of the Stanley Cup finals Bure was ejected 1 8 minutes 2 1 seconds into the game at the Pacific Coliseum when the shaft of his stick smacked the eye of Rangers defenseman Jay Wells Referee Andy vanHeltemond gave Bure a 5-minute major penalty and for a stick-related offense that carries an automatic game misconduct At the time of the penalty the Canucks were tied with the Rangers 1-1 But the game quickly unraveled for Vancouver which ended up losing 5-1 and falling behind 2-1 in the series With game four here Tuesday the Canucks called off practice Sunday But five players beginning with Bure had scheduled time with Canucks trainer Larry Ashley to play Michael Jackson for a day and relax in the hyperbaric chamber use it to treat injuries or for restoration from Ashley said as defenseman Gerald Diduck replaced Bure in the chamber the season seen good results helping guys with what we call dead legs when guys get The Canucks died Saturday without Bure who led the league with 60 goals during the regular season And their goaltender Kirk McLean who has been terrific in the playoffs had a dreadful evening allowing several soft shots to skip past him match and very aim wavered again in the third set but he returned rejuvenated for the fourth set and raced to a 4-0 lead He broke for the match in the seventh game forcing Berasategui into a backhand error Berasategui who said he was more nervous meeting the king of Spain than playing in the final slammed 22 winners with his unique forehand hit with the same face of the racket as his backhand But those winners were more than wiped out by his 65 unforced errors Bruguera committed 46 unforced errors control the forehand of Alberto I think it is almost Bruguera said you have to be afraid of one shot The other players were so afraid of Alberto they almost lost even before they played I know how to play him and I know his weaknesses and that helped me a little Berasategui reached the final without losing a set He was the first unseeded finalist since 1986 and was trying to become the first unseeded player to win since Mats Wilanderin 1982 dream came true for he said never thought of making the final Bruguera was a relative outsider when he won the title last year dethroning two-time defending champion Jim Courier in a five-set final This year as the sixth seed he beat Courier in four sets The Associated Press PARIS A man seemingly hitting into a mirror won the final of the French Open on Sunday That man was defending cham- pion Sergi Bruguera who overcame his friend Spanish countryman practice partner and philosophical double Alberto Bera-setegui 6-3 7-5 2-6 6-1 It was a match between onedimensional clay-court players and it never wavered from that Both stayed far behind the baseline and traded ground strokes in long rallies with little variation The crowd seemed almost bored and when the match ended after 2 hours 22 minutes there was only muted applause After winning the first set handily Bruguera was bothered by a callous on the ring finger of his right hand He fell behind 1-4 then had the sore finger tended to by a trainer during a changeover Then a rally began By the time he had broken Berasategui and taken a 6-5 lead Bruguera had committed only five unforced errors and was the beneficiary of 38 by his opponent think I know how to play Sergi but I think my legs got tired and I think if I would have won the second set things might have said Berasategui who had never before advanced beyond the second round of a Grand Slam against Sergi you have to play at 100 percent the whole Sergi Bruguera of Spain cheered with the crowd after a four-set victory Sunday gave him his second straight French Open title KC Bowlers Hall of Fame honors 80-year-old woman By BILL RICHARDSON Staff Writer BOWLING NOTEBOOK Davenport and Lisa Raymond 6-2 6-2 Dutch players Kristie Boogert and Menno Oosting won the mixed doubles defeating Larisa Neiland of Latvia and Andrei Ol-hovskiy of Russia 7-5 3-6 7-5 The junior girls title went to 13-year-old Martina Hingis of Switzerland who won for the second straight year In the junior boys final Spain came through in singles for the third time when Jacobo Diaz defeated Giorgio Galimberti of Italy 6-3 7-6 (7-5) in the semifinals then became the ninth man to successfully defend the French Open title It became his 10th clay-court title He has won only once on a surface other than clay In other finals Sunday: Former US college stars Jonathan Stark and Byron Black won the doubles beating Jan Apell and Jonas Bjorkman 6-4 7-6 (7-5) In doubles Gigi Fernandez and Natalia Zvereva combined for their eighth Grand Slam title by beating Lindsay Newcomer to 65 division wins singles crown USTA By BILL RICHARDSON Staff Writer In recognition of her efforts over a 59-year career in bowling Maezel Baehr has been added to the Greater Kansas City Bowlers Hall of Fame for meritorious service Baehr 80 was honored Friday during the 1 1th annual Night of Fame banquet at the Gold Buffet in North Kansas City In addition to bowling in three winter and two summer leagues Baehr has held organizational offices and served on numerous committees never hear Maezel say she does not have time to chair a said Eva Phillips president of the Greater Kansas City Bowling Association while presenting Baehr for induction never hear her say I cannot do more than one job at a Baehr expressed humility in a brief acceptance speech can hardly pronounce the word meritorious much less give that kind of she said so very Rudy Hickel was the Greater Kansas City Bowling As sociation Hall of Fame inductee Hickel has maintained a composite average of 200 in 30 years of bowling in various leagues and twice served as president of the association bowler of the year honors went to Lois Morgan who has consistently averaged 190 or more in three leagues and shot series of 702 703 706 and 718 in a four-week span The bowler of the year was Robert Hillmon who averaged 221 at Ward Parkway Lanes 220 at AMF King Louie Lucky Strike and 218 at AMF King Louie Red Bridge Hillmon shot three 300 games He rolled an 816 series in the Charlie Lacy singles tournament Other honorees included Michelle Day high average bowler with a 201 average forffae leagues Charles Townsend senior of the year with 700 series in each of six leagues and Brian Smith rookie of the year Smith a recent Raytown South High graduate is averaging 220 in a summer league net was effective overall worked for me as long as I stayed Owen said very pleased to win here We had a good match and this was a fine The tournament ended on a painful note for Marian Petersen of Blue Springs Petersen pulled a muscle in the second set of her 65 singles consolation match and was forced to retire after one game of the third set Pat Niehaus of New City NY claimed the fifth-place prize but was gracious in victory won the match but I beat Niehaus said get ready for this The crucial point in victory over Gay came in the sixth game of the second set Owen led 3-2 but was on the verge of losing service Gay had the advantage but failed to put away an apparent easy slam opportunity on a move to the net was a very important Gay said was missing shots today that I usually make If I had played like I have in the past it would have been a much closer strategy of forcing Gay to the baseline then rushing the will be 65 in September became eligible for the senior tour this year Owen won an international tournament the week before in California and has begun attracting attention as a new force in the 65 division nice to see a new player like her come said Elaine Mason of Fresno Calif the 1992 and 1993 champion who lost to Owen in the semifinals has a steady game and strong determination I think winning the tournament in California helped her Her first trip to the national seniors indoor tennis tournament in Overland Park was a memorable one for Louise Owen of Evansville Ind Owen won two championships at the Indian Creek Racquet Club securing the 65 singles title Sunday with a 6-3 6-2 victory over June Gay of Piedmont Calif On Saturday Owen teamed with Gay 69 for the 65 doubles title in the USTA meet Owen a retired high school physical-education teacher who Two big moments in baseball continue to follow former pitcher Littell WHATEVER HAPPENED TO? By DICK KAEGEL Staff Writer Mark Littell NICKNAMli Country AOli 41 FOKMIRLYi Relief pitcher for the Royals and Cardinals 1973-62 record 32-31 332 ERA 56 saves CUftRINTLYi Pitching coach for Stockton (Calif) Ports Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers MSIDCNCCi In the process of moving to Phoenix from St Louis FAMILY! Wife Kathy son Michael 1 1 we all enjoyed the game a lot When got something good like we did you get a pretty good pack This season working with former Royals shortstop Freddie Patek the batting coach for Stock-ton Working with kid pitchers in the California League tests patience get a knock on the door at 1 in the he said kid wants to talk and up until 4 You have to be a Littell has spent some time in Australian baseball He was the pitching coach for the champion Brisbane Bandits last winter And he found time to go kangaroo hunting with aborigines was 105 degrees at 2 in the morning and we were all he said like going' barefooted They only have the 1 1 most deadly snakes in the world Remember now this is the guy that Brett always called Littell recalled some close encounters with death He was booked on ill-fated Pan Am Flight 103 but changed his itinerary before the plane exploded over Scotland He has seen three persons shot at point-blank range (at a pizza parlor in Indianapolis Times Square in New York and in the stands in San Juan Puerto Rico) And there were those crazy times with Brett on the Billings Mont club in 1971 always say Mark you should write a Littell said I should" fastball and devastating slider Littell captivated Kansas City fans in 1976 with an 8-4 record 16 saves and a 208 ERA After helping the Royals to the playoffs again in 1977 he was dealt to the Cardinals with catcher Buck Martinez for flamboyant reliever A1 Mad Hrabosky best year with the Cardinals was 1 979 when he was 9-4 with a 220 ERA and 13 saves Then elbow trouble struck and by 1 982 he was through Littell from Gideon Mo stayed in St Louis After a fling in the advertising business he conducted clinics and a pitching school that he still operates He credits a strong staff of instructors during his Royals days for much of the knowledge he shares today with young pitchers lot of ex-Royals wind up Littell said think Littell Mark Littell pitched for two major-league clubs one on each side of his native Missouri remembered for being the victim of a couple of notable hits In 1976 pitching for the Royals Littell gave up the pennantwinning homer to Chris Chambliss of the New York Yankees The home run broke a 6-6 tie created by George three-run homer and broke Kansas City hearts by ending the first playoff adventure Oddly Littell had allowed just one homer in 60 games during the regular season But Chambliss connected on first pitch in the ninth inning Pitching for the Cardinals against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1981 Littell surrendered Pete 3631st career hit which set a National League record broke his bat and Ozzie (Smith) get to Littell recalled catcher Gene Ten-ace came out and said to go big boy in the record book Those were the only hits Chambliss and ever got off him Littell said Littell was speaking from California where the pitching coach for the Stockton Ports a farm club of the Milwaukee Brewers This is his sixth season in Class A baseball previously he coached in the San Diego system A right-hander with a smoking i.