LAUSANNE, July 3: Newly crowned American champion Maurice Greene sent an intimidating warning to Olympic champion Donovan Bailey before next month's World Championships when he beat the Canadian in a high-class 100 metres, yesterday.

Despite pouring rain at the Lausanne Grand Prix meeting, Greene came through strongly in the final 10 metres to hold off Olympic silver medallist Frankie Fredericks and Bailey and win in 9.90 seconds, equalling his own second-fastest time in the world this year.

Fredericks took second place only one hundreth of a second behind with Bailey third in 9.97. Britain's former World and Olympic champion Linford Christie could finish only seventh in 10.12.

The field was one of the fastest ever assembled outside an Olympic or World Championship final. Six of the eight sprinters had run under 10 seconds already this season.

The race included six of the finalists at last year's Atlanta Olympics and all three medallists -- Bailey, Fredericks and Ato Boldon of Trinidad. Boldon was sixth in 10.08.

After winning the US title last month also in 9.90s -- Greene warned that it was time for an American to take control of the world of sprinting. After Wednesday's performance, his rivals will have to take him seriously indeed.

World and Olympic high-hurdles champion Allen Johnson also defied the wet conditions to clock the fastest time in the world this year in the men's 110 metres hurdles 13.17 seconds.

Despite striking the third hurdle from the finish, Johnson powered through to win ahead of American Olympic silver medallist Mark Crear (13.21) and Cuban Anier Garcia (13.27). Britain's world record holder Colin Jackson was fourth in 13.28.

Sweden's Olympic champion Ludmila Engquist also clocked an impressive 12.65 seconds for the women's 100 metres hurdles, the second-fastest time of the season.

``At the start I was a bit disappointed because of the weather and I had rain in my face,'' she said. ``But I'm very happy with this. It is a good warm-up for Athens.''

The early part of the meeting also saw American Suzy Hamilton produce a fast finish to clock a season world best in the women's mile of four minutes 26.01 seconds.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.