Boris: Game, set, matched

It is the unmistakeable look of a man in love. Animated, attentive and smiling with a rare warmth, Boris Becker reveals to the world the woman he says has captured his heart. She is Iranian-American Patrice Farameh and, as these exclusive pictures show, the feeling appears to be mutual.

"When a man like me meets a woman like Patrice it's like being struck by lightning," the 34-year-old tennis legend said. "Words can't describe how I felt."

Ms Farameh, 28, is a computer expert who has worked on projects with stars including Bob Dylan and Oasis. In Germany she is a prolific partygoer who combines an It-girl image with a reputation for being fearsomely bright and articulate. She has a degree in philosophy from the University of Dallas and has been working in Cologne on internet ideas.

Boris, who is currently acting as a frontman for the webserver America On Line, met her only recently, but she has already moved into his sumptuous villa in Munich.

This has prompted some to wonder whether Boris isn't - yet again - diving in where angels tend to tiptoe. His serve-and-volley approach to life has landed him in some awkward scrapes over the past three years. In 1999, after losing his last match at Wimbledon, he went on a drinking spree and ended up in the broom cupboard of a London restaurant with Russian model Angela Ermakova.

"Never seen her before; didn't see her again," he said. "It lasted five seconds." The result was a daughter Anna and a paternity suit which is thought to have cost Boris between £2 million and £3 million. It also cost him his marriage.

He was divorced from his wife Barbara last year, paying her a settlement estimated at about £10 million in total.

Boris's new-found single status triggered a madcap stampede for romance. He was seen with some of Europe's most desirable women including rap singer Sabrina Setlur, voted Germany's "most erotic" in 2000. He was also linked to brainy socialite Zoe Appleyard, erstwhile girlfriend of TV comedian and impressionist Rory Bremner.

But friends say Ms Farameh is different. One told a German magazine: "He is in over his ears. He is planning his future with her."

Boris doesn't deny it: "Patrice and I are taking it day by day, step by step," he said. "I will just say this: it's happened, it's gone well for the past few weeks and I hope it will continue to do so. I have learned from my mistakes in the past. I am intending to guard my private life like a treasure. But sadly I am a very open person nonetheless and I say to you now: yes, she is my new partner and we are very happy and very in love.

"We are a normal young couple, like thousands of others. We like to have a drink together in the evenings and see friends. I hope she is the right one, I believe she is. This makes me very happy."