TENNIS: Boris Becker goes on trial over tax evasion charges in Germany today, with the three-time Wimbledon champion facing up to five years in jail if convicted.

State prosecutors, after years of investigation, have accused Becker (34), of withholding taxes from German authorities worth 10.4 million marks (€5 million) between 1991 and 1993.

Becker has said he lived in Monaco - a tax haven - during this time, while investigators claim he had actually spent at least half of each year in Munich.

The fallen German tennis hero will not comment on the trial, which schould be concluded by the weekend.

But German media have reported in recent weeks that Becker was prepared to admit his error at the start of the trial, and was also ready to pay back-taxes and a fine.

This move, they say, would be seen as a "mitigating factor" that could help keep him out of jail.

German legal experts have said it is possible Becker could be sentenced to two years' probation if he admits his guilt and pays the tax.

The Becker case echoes the woes of Steffi Graf, whose father and manager Peter spent nearly two years in jail after being convicted in 1997 of evading €7 million in tax on his daughter's earnings.

It also puts a spotlight on loopholes in the country's tax system and on its tenacious tax collectors.

Several other leading German sport figures - such as Michael Schumacher, Michael Stich and Franz Beckenbauer - long ago moved abroad to avoid tax.

Becker burst into the limelight with his first Wimbledon triumph as a teenager in 1985, a victory that ushered in a tennis boom in the then West Germany.

The powerful German went on to win six grand slam titles, including two Australian Opens and one US Open crown. His trademark, booming serves helped the battling Becker to 49 career singles titles.

He was ranked number one for a brief spell in 1991 and contested a number of thrilling matches with top players from John McEnroe to Pete Sampras before retiring in 1999.

The fresh-faced redhead was also one of Germany's most popular celebrities, appearing in many advertising campaigns and television shows.

Becker accumulated an estimated €150 million during his 15-year career but has since lost most of his fortune - as well as his reputation - to a costly divorce, a messy settlement with a pregnant lover and a string of failed businesses.

He sold his villa in Munich earlier this year and now lives in a Munich hotel.

Becker's life began to unravel in late 1999 when he and his wife of seven years, Barbara, separated. The split dominated front pages for months.

It also emerged that Becker had fathered a child in London with a Russian model after a sexual encounter in a restaurant laundry cupboard after his final Wimbledon match.

Becker agreed to pay child support, a reported $2.8 million.

He also agreed to a multi-million dollar divorce settlement.