SELES' ATTACKER CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER

A German man identified only as Guenter P. was charged with attempted Saturday murder following the Friday stabbing of tennis star Monica Seles at the Citizen Cup tournament, police said.

The 38-year-old suspect is from the Eastern German state of Thuringia. He was immediately taken into custody after the incident. A police spokesman described the man as being mentally disturbed, and said the suspect told Hamburg's murder squad he was a fan of Seles rival Steffi Graf of Germany.Seles was expected to be discharged from a hospital late Saturday.

Police reported the assailant had told them he never intended to kill Seles but only wanted to injure her. He maintained during further interrrogations Saturday that he wanted to put Seles, the world's No. 1 ranked women's player, out of action by injuring her in an effort to help Graf reclaim the top spot in women's tennis.

Graf visited Seles in the hospital Saturday morning.

"We hardly knew what to say, but I think the incident brought us a little closer," Graf said. "She was very happy that I visited her. I hope this incident isn't hyped too much which could give others similar ideas. There will always be such people."