Becker set to shrug off injury

Boris Becker's right calf muscle was a talking point on the eve of Wimbledon, but it appears that he will be fit to mark the 10th anniversary of his initial triumph in 1985 at the age of 17, the youngest and only unseeded men's singles champion in history.

The All England Club granted Becker's request to play his first-round match against Emilio Alvarez, of Spain, tomorrow. The German, who also won the title in 1986 and 1989, had been worried about the calf muscle since limping away from the Stella Artois Championships at Queen's Club, London, 10 days ago.

He returned to Munich to be treated by his doctor and had to cancel an address he was scheduled to give to the Oxford Union, along with his coach, Nick Bollettieri. Becker arrived back in London last Friday, and has been practising in private.

Though no longer troubled by the injury, he may not relish going into the year's most important tournament having had his preparation interrupted.

Becker's compatriot Steffi Graf, the five times women's singles champion who lost in the first round last year, appears to have recovered from a sprained wrist. She was able to resume practice on Saturday, working on the court for four hours.