LONDON (AP) - Former Grand Slam winner Monica Seles leapt to the
defence of Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova yesterday after the
Russian glamour girl was accused of ruining tennis by her on-court
screaming.

Seles, now 31 but who has yet to formally retire from the sport,
never won Wimbledon but won 10 Grand Slam titles, all accompanied by
what became a trademark grunt.

Tournament referee Alan Mills claimed recently that all the screaming
by players like Sharapova as well as a host of others was a blight on
the game.

"As you know, I was one of the original grunters," said Seles during
a Centre Court interview conducted during a four-and-a-half hour rain
delay on Thursday.

"But Jimmy Connors used to grunt way before I was born. I never knew
I was grunting, it was just part of my strokes.

"I always grunted much more when the going got tough and I can see
that in the girls now.

"I don't think Maria is grunting now more than she used to. The
maturity she is showing is really very impressive."

Seles hasn't played on the tour since June 2003 because of a foot
injury but has yet to offically retire.

"My life is definitely in tennis. I'm still playing," she said.

"I'm trying to give stuff back coaching kids in America and Canada
but I'm also studying a little bit of architecture."

Seles has won all the major titles except Wimbledon; the closest she
came was finishing as runner-up in 1992 to Steffi Graf.

[In the article it is mentioned Seles won 10 Grand Slam tournaments.
This should be nine]