OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuter) - Top-seeded Lindsay Davenport downed
fellow American Jennifer Capriati Friday night in quarterfinal
action at the $164,250 IGA Tennis Classic.
Davenport won the battle of the two most recent Olympic gold
medalists, 6-3, 6-4. Davenport was the 1996 winner at Atlanta,
while Capriati won in 1992 at Barcelona.
Davenport, the top-ranked American-born player in women's
tennis, captured two titles in 1996 and was an integral part of
the United States' sweep of Spain in the Fed Cup finals. The
20-year-old Davenport handed top-ranked Steffi Graf one of only
four losses in 1996 at the Acura Classic in Los Angeles.
Davenport will meet another American, third-seeded Kimberly
Po, in the semifinals Saturday. Po, who ousted Davenport in the
fourth round of last month's Australian Open, moved into the
semis with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over fellow American Sandra Cacic.
Capriati, who has battled drug and legal problems in recent
years, reached the second final of her comeback at last month's
Sydney International, losing to Martina Hingis. However, she
suffered a crushing first-round defeat to Jolene Watanabe in the
first round of the Australian Open and Tuesday was her first
match since.
Second seed Amanda Coetzer of South Africa was upended by
unseeded Francesca Lubiani of Italy, 6-0, 6-3 earlier Friday.
The 19-year-old Lubiani needed just 65 minutes to dispose of
Coetzer, a finalist here last year.
Lubiani will take on fourth seed Lisa Raymond of the United
States in Saturday's semifinals. Raymond struggled past
compatriot Pam Shriver, 7-5, 7-6 (7-1), ending Shriver's 19-year
singles career.
The 34-year-old Shriver, who reached her first quarterfinal
in three years, announced Thursday that this tournament would be
her last as a singles competitor. Shriver captured 22 Grand Slam
doubles titles (21 doubles, one mixed doubles) and was a top-10
player for nine straight years.
``To play your last week and beat a couple of quality
opponents and then battle a top-25 player -- who I think is one
of the most talented players out there -- to the end leaves you
with a pretty good feeling,'' she said. ``I will remember a lot
of moments about this week.''
In other women's tennis, top seed Jana Novotna of the Czech
Republic and defending champion and third seed Iva Majoli of
Croatia emerged victorious Friday in quarterfinal action at the
$450,000 Faber Grand Prix in Hanover, Germany.
Novotna, who lost to Majoli in last year's final, upended
eighth seed Elena Likhovtseva of Russia, 6-4, 6-2, while Majoli
rallied past unseeded Anne-Gaelle Sidot of France, 4-6, 7-6
(7-4), 6-4.
Novotna, ranked third in the world, will take on Magdalena
Maleeva of Bulgaria in Saturday's semifinals. Maleeva breezed
past French qualifier Sandrine Testud, 6-1, 6-4.
Majoli, currently ranked ninth in the world, will battle
sixth seed Barbara Paulus of Austria in the other semifinal.
Paulus got past Miriam Oremans of the Netherlands, 7-6 (7-4),
6-4.