Seles Will Miss La Costa Event

Monica Seles, who ranks fifth in the world among women players, withdrew Friday from next week’s TIG Tennis Classic at La Costa Resort and Spa because of an arm injury.

Seles played one singles match in last weekend’s Fed Cup play in Italy but was unable to compete the second day because of tendinitis in her right arm. The tendinitis forced her to change her grip and she started getting blisters on her left hand.

She earlier had pulled out of this week’s tournament at Stanford.

The La Costa event still has eight of the top 10 players, and 17 of the top 20. Missing are Jana Novotna, Serena Williams and Seles, although Serena Williams is scheduled to play doubles with her sister Venus.

The top eight seeded players: defending champion Lindsay Davenport, Martina Hingis, Steffi Graf, Venus Williams, Mary Pierce, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Amanda Coetzer and Nathalie Tauziat. Davenport and Venus Williams are in the upper half of the draw, and Hingis and Graf are in the lower.