AUGUST

In the first round of the Toshiba Classic, Steffi, the 6th seed, takes on Julie Halard-Decugis for the 9th time. And, for the 9th straight time, she beats her. Steffi breezes into the 2nd round, 6-2, 6-2.

In the 2nd round, Steffi saves four match points before succumbing to Ai Sugiyama, Japan's top player, 4-6, 6-1, 5-7. This is the first match that Steffi has lost at the La Costa Resort and Spa, in Carlsbad, California. Steffi had previously won 21 straight matches there.

ROUND	OPPONENT	SCORE	RESULT
1	Julie Halard-Decugis	6-2, 6-2	WON
2	Ai Sugiyama	4-6, 6-1, 5-7	LOST

Steffi Graf enters the Du Maurier Open in Montreal, Canada as a warm-up for the US Open. She enters highly motivated, and leaves thouroughly disappointed. Steffi, the 7th seed, opens her campaign on a high note, as she thrashes Virginia Ruano-Pascual in just 41 minutes, 6-0, 6-1, in a 2nd round encounter.

Steffi also enters the doubles event, and, partnering Ines Gorrochategui, they beat Julie Halard-Decugis/Rachel McQuillan in the first round, 6-2, 7-5. However, a possible meeting with Hingis/Novotna does not happen, as Steffi and Ines lose to the 8th seeded pair of Kijimuta/Miyagi 4-6, 5-7, in the 2nd round.

In the 3rd round of the singles event, Steffi faces Magui Serna, the Spaniard whom she had beaten in Birmingham. Steffi gets off to a bad start, and soon it is Serna who has the first set, 6-4. Serna moves ahead to 5-2 in the second, before Steffi breaks and holds to 4-5. Steffi then holds a point for 5-5, and saves 3 match points, before finally succumbing 4-6, 4-6, the same score by which she had beaten Serna at the DFS Classic. It is a very demoralising loss for Steffi, as it seemed that she had finally regained top form.

ROUND	OPPONENT	SCORE	RESULT
2	Virginia Ruano-Pascual	6-0, 6-1	WON
3	Magui Serna	4-6, 4-6	LOST

PARTNER	ROUND	OPPONENTS	SCORE	RESULT
Ines Gorrochategui	1	Halard-Decugis/McQuillan	6-2, 7-5	WON
Ines Gorrochategui	2	Miyagi/Kijimuta(8)	4-6, 5-7	LOST

Steffi Graf enters the Pilot Pen International tournament in New Haven, CT, to get extra match practice for the US Open. Steffi is seeded 4th, and, after a first round bye, she takes on Slovakian, Henrieta Nagyova. Steffi wins the first set in just 20 minutes, and doesn't take long to completely destroy her helpless oppenent 6-1, 6-3.

Steffi Graf easily moves into a semifinal confrontation with Davenport, by beating 7th seeded, Amanda Coetzer, 6-3, 6-0 in a quarterfinal encounter. Steffi is exhibiting some top class tennis.

In the semifinals, Steffi snaps Lindsay Davenport's 13 match winning streak, beating the top seeded American, 6-3, 7-6(8-6) in an incredible display. Steffi builds a 6-3, 5-2 lead before Davenport storms back to lead 6-5. Steffi then levels at 6-6, but falls behind 0-5 in the tie-break. However, she then relaxes, and pulls through to her first final in 14 months.

In the final, Steffi faces Jana Novotna, the 2nd seeded Wimbledon champion. Steffi doesn't have any trouble with Novotna, as she clinically takes her apart in the first set, 6-4. The 2nd set marks a further improvement, as Steffi storms past Novotna 6-4, 6-1 to take her 104th career singles title.

ROUND	OPPONENT	SCORE	RESULT
2	Henrieta Nagyova	6-1, 6-3	WON
QF	Amanda Coetzer(7)	6-3, 6-0	WON
SF	Lindsay Davenport(1)	6-3, 7-6(8-6)	WON
F	Jana Novotna(2)	6-4, 6-1	WON