BRIEFLY : INJURED MUSTER OUT OF WIMBLEDON.

Thomas Muster, angered earlier this week at being seeded only No. 7 for Wimbledon when he was the second-ranked player in the world, vowed to prove he could play on grass as well as clay.

Those plans were wrecked Thursday when Muster aggravated a thigh injury and pulled out the All-England grass-court championships which begin Monday.

The Austrian announced his Wimbledon withdrawal after hobbling through a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 loss to Brett Steven of New Zealand at the Gary Webber grass-court tournament.

Muster had worked hard to prepare himself on grass for Wimbledon, where he had never won a match in four previous appearances.

``I've played well on grass but unfortunately my body didn't hold up,'' he said. ``In the last week, I've been troubled by this injury, so I think it doesn't really make sense for me to go and play there. My body needs some rest.''

Rain washed out play at the women's grass-court tournament in Eastbourne, England. The four quarterfinal matches and two semifinals will be played today. Top-seeded Monica Seles will play qualifier Ines Gorrochategui in one quarterfinal.

Helena Sukova of the Czech Republic upset top-seeded Iva Majoli 6-1, 6-1 in the Wilkinson Lady championships in Rosmalen, Netherlands.

GOLF John Daly, who missed this tournament last year because of headaches and watched from his home off the 16th fairway, shot a 7-under-par 64 to share the first-round lead of the St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn.

John Cook, Nike Tour player Patrick Lee and rookie Mike Swartz are also at 64 and holding a one-stroke lead over four others.

Daly, in the process of selling his golf course home, had six birdies, one eagle and a bogey.

Rain suspended first-round play in the LPGA Rochester (N.Y.) International, shortening the tournament to 54 holes from 72. After a four-hour rain delay, several groups of golfers teed off before midday. They were ordered back to the clubhouse 45 minutes later when the clouds opened up again and Locust Hill Country Club turned too soggy.

BOXING U.S. Olympic boxer and prison guard Lawrence Clay-Bey was arrested 16 months ago on a sexual assault charge and is enrolled in a court-supervised rehabilitation program in Hartford, Conn.

The criminal case is not expected to affect Clay-Bey's eligibility to compete at the Olympics next month in Atlanta. Clay Bey, 30, a Hartford native, was originally charged with first-degree sexual assault with a weapon - a vase - when he was arrested Feb. 1, 1995. The woman he is accused of assaulting agreed to the reduction of the criminal charge to third-degree sexual assault and his enrollment in the program.

The charge, a Class D felony, is pending until May 1997, when Clay-Bey is next scheduled to appear in court. If he has no further criminal involvement, the charge and all record of the assault will be erased.

Though Olympics officials could consider the complaint under limited circumstances, the general rule is that a competitor's past does not affect his eligibility.

Giovanni Parisi of Italy retained his WBO super lightweight title, coming back from two early knockdowns to forge a draw with Mexican challenger Carlos ``Bolillo'' Gonzalez at Assago Forum in Milan, Italy.

The 28-year-old champion went down in each of the first two rounds when the challenger connected with hard right hooks. But the hard-hitting Mexican fighter gradually lost confidence and precision as he failed to add to his impressive record of 35 knockout wins within the third round.

FOOTBALL Miami receiver Jammi German was arrested and at least two teammates were implicated in the beating of a track athlete who supposedly said German was gay. The arrest Wednesday night of German, charged with burglary and assault, was the latest in a series of embarrassing incidents involving Hurricanes.

Also named in the police report, but not charged, were linebackers James Burgess and Jeff Taylor. According to the police report, German and several others entered the apartment of Maxwell Voce, the captain of the track team, at about 9:30 EDT Wednesday night.

Voce, who was sitting down to dinner with another student, said German asked if Voce was spreading rumors that German was a homosexual. The group then chased Voce, 23, into a corner and began beating him, causing his eye to swell and cutting his nose.

Typail McMullen, a senior strong safety who started 11 games last season, was kicked off the Texas A&M football team for violating team rules, coach R.C. Slocum said.

Colorado linebacker Tyronee ``Tiger'' Bussey, who has been battling leukemia since his senior year of high school, is again receiving chemotherapy.

ETC. Renault, which has been involved in seven world championship titles, said it is quitting Formula One racing at the end of next season. The French company, whose contracts with the Benetton and Williams teams expire at the end of the 1997 season, said it will announce plans for a new sporting strategy in the next few months. . . .

Former NBA player Charles ``Hawkeye'' Whitney was sentenced to 69 months in prison for the armed kidnapping of a White House lawyer. Whitney was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina, who said part of the sentence may be served in a drug rehabilitation program. Whitney also was ordered to pay back $1,600 he forced lawyer Mark Fabiani to withdraw from automatic teller machines. . . .

The International Ski Federation canceled Aspen's Women's World Cup races set for December because officials said the course isn't safe without major modifications.

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Photo: JOHN DALY: He fired a 7-under-par 64 to share the fi rst-round lead in the St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn.