Tennis : Sabatini Beats Graf for First Time, Wins Title

Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina ended an 11-match losing streak to Steffi Graf on Sunday, upsetting the world’s No. 1-ranked women’s player, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1, to win a $300,000 Virginia Slims tournament at Boca Raton, Fla.

“I guess this has been the best week of my career,” said the 17-year-old Sabatini, who reached the final by upsetting second-seeded Chris Evert, ranked No. 3 in the world.

It was Sabatini’s first career victory over both players. Evert had beaten her 5 times and Graf 11 times.

Beating the 18-year-old Graf earned Sabatini the $60,000 top prize and ended the West German’s 30-match winning string. It also marked the third loss for the top-seeded Graf in her last 108 matches. The other two defeats during that time were to Martina Navratilova in the Wimbledon and U.S. Open finals last year.

Sabatini, ranked No. 5 in the world, now has beaten everyone ranked above her, including Navratilova and Pam Shriver.

“This week has given me a lot of confidence for the future,” she said. “My goal is to be No. 1 someday. That’s what I work for.

“I concentrated more and had confidence,” Sabatini said. “When the third set started I felt ‘Now I can win.’ ”

Graf, who collected $24,000 runner-up money, won the first set handily, taking the first three games with two service breaks. But her unforced errors, 39 in all, proved costly later on.

“I had a good first set,” she said. “But the match was decided in the second set. I led 3-2, 30-0, and gave the game away.”

Graf dropped her service in the sixth and eighth games, allowing Sabatini to take a 5-3 lead. Sabatini then held to even the match.

Graf held service in the first game of the final set on her third game point. But Sabatini won the last six games, erasing a Graf game point for the break in the third game.

Sabatini hit an overhead and a passing shot to break service in the fifth from 30-all, and utilized two Graf errors for the final break, in the seventh game.

“I felt tired after the first set,” Sabatini said of the two-hour match. “I just kept the ball deep to her and she missed some.

“It’s important to win this kind of match. Everyone wants to beat her. This proves it can be done.”