Former women's number one Steffi Graf will not play in the Australian Open, which begins in Melbourne on January 19th. Graf (28), four times a winner of the Australian Open, has not played since she was beaten by South African Amanda Coetzer in the French Open quarter-finals last June - she later underwent an operation on her left knee.

"I have decided not to compete in Australia because after such a long absence I do not feel in good enough form to do myself justice," she said in a statement released by her manager, Hans Engert, yesterday.

Graf, who also said that the extreme heat of the Australian summer would be a hindrance in her return to competition, added that her knee was absolutely fine and stated her ambition to regain the world number one spot off Swiss teenage prodigy Martina Hingis.

Graf aims to return for the Tokyo WTA tournament which begins on February 2nd.