Monica Seles, a four-time winner of the Australian Open, has withdrawn from this year's event which starts on January 19th for "personal reasons". Seles, who has struggled with injuries since returning to the Tour in July 1995, has also pulled out of the warm-up tournament in Sydney, which begins next Monday.

No other reason was given for Seles's decision, but her game has been affected in the last year by the declining health of her father and coach Karoli, who suffers from stomach cancer.

Seles joins another former world number one, Steffi Graf, who withdrew from the event last month due to injury.

Meanwhile, third seeds South Africa took another step towards the final of the Hopman Cup when they defeated Germany 2-1 in a qualifying clash in Perth, Australia, yesterday.

Wayne Ferreira and Amanda Coetzer clinched victory when they beat Tommy Haas and Anke Huber 6-2, 6-2 in the deciding mixed doubles after the singles had been shared.

The 23-year-old Huber, ranked 14th in the world, defeated Coetzer 6-3, 6-3 in 72 minutes in the women's singles, but Ferreira levelled the tie when he overpowered 19-year-old Hamburg-born Haas 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 and then linked up with Coetzer to win the doubles in two comfortable sets.

South Africa will play second seeds France tomorrow. If they win, they will be certain of reaching the final. Australia defeated top seeds Spain 2-1 by winning the mixed doubles earlier in the day.

World number two Patrick Rafter and his little-known partner Annabel Ellwood teamed up to defeat Carlos Moya and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 7-5 6-2 in the doubles after the singles clashes had been shared - Sanchez Vicario beating Ellwood 6-2, 6-4 and Rafter beating Moya 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (8-6).

Hopman Cup Mixed Teams Tournament (at Burswood Dome, Perth): Group A - Australia bt Spain 2-1 (men's singles: P Rafter bt C Moya 7-5 1-6 7-6 (8-6); women's singles: A Ellwood lost to A Sanchez Vicario 2-6 4-6; mixed doubles: Rafter and Ellwood bt Moya and Sanchez Vicario 7-5 6-2); South Africa bt Germany 2-1 (men's singles: W Ferreira bt T Haas 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. women's singles: A Coetzer lost to A Huber 3-6, 3-6; mixed doubles: Ferreira and Coetzer bt Haas and Huber 6-2, 6-2).

One-time world number one Andre Agassi recovered from a set down to beat Armenian Sargis Sargsian 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in Adelaide yesterday.