MARTINA HINGIS is the "towering female tennis player
of the present day, the only woman on the tour who really
matters," according to Alan Richman, who profiles Hingis in
a GQ cover story. Richman: "With Hingis time passes not
just painlessly but pleasurably. Considering her one-
dimensional past, it's hard to imagine how she turned out so
well" (GQ, 6/98 issue)....RICHARD WILLIAMS, the father of
VENUS and SERENA WILLIAMS, is profiled by Douglas Looney in
today's CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR. Looney, who calls
Richard's approach with his daughters "unconventional":
"[I]n a world in which there is near unanimous agreement
that 14 is way too young for a little girl to become a
touring professional, this most protective of all the
parents abruptly decided that would be the proper next step"
(CSM, 5/22)....NBA Coach of the Year LARRY BIRD "declined to
confirm" that he would return next year to coach the Pacers
again. Bird: "We'll see" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 5/22).
...Former Jets head coach RICH KOTITE will play a coach in a
film starring KELSEY GRAMMER. The film is "Jersey
Turnpikers" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/22)....A grand jury will not
indict either Wizards F JUWAN HOWARD or Kings F CHRIS WEBBER
for an alleged sexual assault (WASHINGTON POST, 5/22).
