No. 2-Ranked Graf Stuns No. 1 Navratilova, 6-3, 6-2

Steffi Graf defeated Martina Navratilova, 6-3, 6-2, in the semifinals of the International Players Championships Thursday, sending the world’s No. 1-ranked woman player to her second loss this year.

Navratilova lost to Hana Mandlikova in the final of the Australian Open in January.

Graf, seeded third in the International Players Championships but ranked No. 2 in the world, needed just 56 minutes to dispose of Navratilova on the wind-whipped International Tennis Center stadium court.

“I’m so happy about the match,” said Graf, now 2-5 against Navratilova. “It’s one of the biggest wins I’ve ever had.”

Graf never lost her serve, and Navratilova held only five break points against Graf’s serve.

In Saturday’s final, Graf will play Chris Evert Lloyd, who wore down fourth-seeded Hana Mandlikova, 7-5, 6-0.

In the men’s semifinals today, top-seeded Ivan Lendl plays sixth-seeded Jimmy Connors in a rematch of their memorable semifinal meeting here last year. Connors was defaulted in the fifth set of that one after storming off the court to protest a line call.

In the other men’s semifinal, fourth-seeded Yannick Noah is scheduled to play ninth-seeded Miloslav Mecir, who defeated second-seeded Stefan Edberg of Sweden in the quarterfinals.

But Noah’s status is in question. He pulled out of a doubles match Thursday because of a shoulder injury suffered in his quarterfinal victory over Mats Wilander.