Graf to Meet Mandlikova in Indian Wells Final Today

Steffi Graf defeated Wendy Turnbull and Hana Mandlikova beat Kathy Rinaldi Saturday to advance to the final of the $100,000 Newsweek women’s tennis tournament.

Graf, a 17-year-old West German ranked No. 3 in the world, powered her way past Australia’s Wendy Turnbull, 6-3, 6-1, and Mandlikova defeated Kathy Rinaldi, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.

The Graf-Turnbull match began with neither player able to hold service. There were five consecutive services breaks and a total of six in their opening set at Grand Champions resort.

“In the beginning, I had problems with Wendy’s low slice and I didn’t serve well,” Graf said. “In the second set, everything worked pretty well for me.”

Turnbull said she was weary from playing four hours the previous day, in both singles and doubles.

Mandlikova, from Czechoslovakia, rebounded from the first-set loss to dominate Rinaldi in their match.

Ranked No. 4 in the world, Mandlikova broke Rinaldi’s service six of seven times in the last two sets, and won the match by breaking her serve in a love game.