BRIEFLY : NO SURGERY FOR GRAF.

Steffi Graf will not need knee surgery and she might be able to play again in two weeks.

Hans Paessler, the doctor at Heidelberg University Clinic who performed a tomography on Graf's knee, diagnosed it as ``an acute infection of the patella (tendon) tip below the left kneecap.'' The injury forced the world's top-ranked woman player out of the Pan Pacific Open final in Tokyo over the weekend, and there was concern she might have to have an operation.

``It can be well treated therapeutically,'' Passler said. Graf, however, will have to take a two-week break from training.

Defending champion Sabine Appelmans of Belgium, Nathalie Tauziat of France and Chanda Rubin of the United States advanced to the second round of the Austrian women's tennis tournament in Linz.

BASEBALL: Former Boston manager Butch Hobson, fired from Scranton-Wilkes-Barre last year following his arrest on a cocaine charge, was hired by the Red Sox as a special-assignment scout.

Umpires gained an additional week of vacation each season under an agreement that calls for them to work only in their league's ballparks during interleague play.

HOCKEY: Mighty Ducks left wing Shawn Antoski underwent what was termed successful bilateral hernia surgery. Antoski, 26, is expected to be sidelined for the next 8-12 weeks.

BASKETBALL: Miami forward Kurt Thomas had successful surgery to repair a fractured right ankle he suffered at a New York City restaurant on Jan. 24. The procedure lasted 45 minutes and Thomas will be in a cast four weeks, according to a news release. He will begin rehabilitation after the cast is removed.

Charles Barkley said that a sprained ankle will force him to miss next Sunday's All-Star game, and the NBA selected Detlef Schrempf of the Seattle SuperSonics to take his place.