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Graf, Becker hungry for last hurrah

At 31 and 30, Boris Becker and Steffi Graf go into this year's Wimbledon rather more than sentimental hopefuls. The German old garde wants a last hurrah - badly.

Graf is riding in on the crest of undreamt-of success in the French Open, with a one-match-at-a-time attitude that keeps her mind unfettered by the pressure that bears on the likes of Martina Hingis.

In addition, the seven-times Wimbledon champion is beginning to have a lot of fun as her career winds down - and is also taking to the courts in the mixed doubles with John McEnroe.

For Becker, the story is different - pressure right from the start as he faces a needle match against German young blood Nicolas Kiefer, with whom there is no love lost.

Assuming Becker disposes of Scottish wild card 289th-ranked Miles MaClagen in tomorrow's opener, in round two he can expect to face Kiefer, who refuses to take part in his Mercedes team and who makes no secret of his dislike of the legend who is a decade older.

Kiefer is seeded 15 and quietly tipped by many to advance a long way in this year's 12.2 million-dollar event, with sensible German money resting on his shoulders and those of 14th-seeded Thomas Haas.

But Becker, who announced ''to 99 per cent'' his last Wimbledon appearance two years ago, has turned up here with a boyish haircut clinging to that one per cent chance of taking his fourth title since first going down in the history books as a 17-year-old in 1985.

''This isn't just old against young, experience against the unshockable,'' said Becker's mentor of those early days, Guenther Bosch, of the possible encounter with Kiefer.

''This is far more volotile. Boris is Kiefer's boss as team captain'' - a reference to the strained Davis Cup relationship in which the youngster has recently turned his back. ''This is pure psychological warfare,'' Bosch even ventured.

In addition comes Becker's rock-solid conviction in himself, reflected in his statement that ''Pete Sampras was the only one I had to admit was better than me'' during his Wimbledon years.

It is with the American number one that Becker has been training hard during the tournament build-up, taking over court 12 Friday, close to the centre court which he would love to tread one last time.

Graf meanwhile goes into the fray buoyed by a number two seeding that means she can face Hingis only in the final - an encounter all would see as the dream ending to the women's competition following the antics of what happened in Paris two weeks ago.

''Maybe, this time really will be the last,'' Graf as said of the tournament she acknowledges as ''my absolute favourite''. She has certainly bid Paris farewell after her win over Hingis in a performance not even she could top.

But a Wimbledon farewell, too? ''I don't want to talk about things that haven't happened yet,'' she said. ''Two years ago Boris Becker said he was finishing, and now he's back again. I'm someone who keeps her word.''