SportsLine wire reports

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Pat Rafter took his surfer image to the limit in his Australian Open first-round match, looking more like a beach bum than a Grand Slam tournament tennis player.

The two-time U.S. Open champion flaunted the dress code when he played in a T-shirt and floral shorts.

Tour officials stripped him of the shirt following the match and, according to one newspaper report, they found a minuscule collar.

Rafter topped off the surfer look with a big wad of sun cream on his nose and long-peak cap.

"They took my shirt away to have a look at it," Rafter said. "I was just trying to get the beach look going."

Rafter's casual gear fitted the pace of the match as he beat Germany's Oliver Gross 6-2, 6-4, 6-3.

Philippoussis fined

The meeting was called Saturday, and some players aired grievances about Korda, who was fined and docked points but not suspended after testing positive for the banned steroid nandrolone after Wimbledon.

The spokesman said all players who were in Melbourne for the Australian Open were required to attend the meeting under tour rules.

Philippoussis has said he is not interested in the Korda issue.

But the pain of any fine has already been dulled. Philippoussis earned $10,800 for winning his first-round match and stands to win $455,000 if he can capture the tournament.

That's two meetings he can afford to miss for the first round; 91 if he gets the trophy.

Iron man

But the ATP Tour has released statistics that show Kafelnikov was the true iron man in 1998, playing 150 matches, or 27 more than the second-hardest worker, Pat Rafter. Sampras placed 10th with 82.

Of the top 10, nine players also competed in the Davis Cup. American Sampras was the odd man out.

Outside Korda

The organizers prevented International Tennis Federation president Brian Tobin from holding a news conference on the opening day to brief reporters on the Korda drug case. Tobin told the AP the organizers wanted to get the tournament off to a pleasant start free from the whiff of drug scandal.

Unfortunately for the organizers, Korda is the defending champion here. He is the first Grand Slam tournament defending champion since the Open era started in 1968 to not be seeded . That is explained by his No. 21 world ranking and the organizers' decision to follow usual procedure and seed according to the computer ranking.

Korda didn't even get the chance to open his defense on center court Tuesday, being shunted out to Court One to meet Galo Blanco.

Falling star

ATP Tour officials say Rios, the current No. 2, can be no better placed then No. 5 when the next rankings come out Feb. 1, the day after the Australian Open.

Rios was runner-up here last year. He also failed to defend his points from the Heineken Open in Auckland, New Zealand, where he won last year.

Doctors say he could be out until the end of March, putting his defense of titles at Indian Wells, Calif., and Key Biscayne, Fla., tournaments at risk.

The ATP Tour has been as confused as everyone else about the standings. After a release stating 12 players had a chance to take over from Sampras by winning here, the tour put out a more sober assessment Tuesday.

Rios falls out of contention, leaving Alex Corretja, Pat Rafter, Carlos Moya and Andre Agassi as hopeful, with Corretja having the best chance. By the ATP Tour's count, the No. 3-ranked Spaniard could take the top position by reaching the semifinals.