Women’s Tennis Tournament : Graf, Navratilova Win to Advance to Semifinals

Top-ranked Steffi Graf reached today’s semifinals of the $300,000 Family Circle Magazine women’s tennis tournament Friday by defeating Radka Zrubakova of Czechoslovakia, 6-2, 6-1.

Second-ranked Martina Navratilova also advanced, beating eighth-seeded Hana Mandlikova of Australia, 6-2, 7-5.

Navratilova will face fourth-seeded Natalia Zvereva of the Soviet Union, who downed fellow Soviet Leila Meskhi, 6-3, 6-2.

Graf will play seventh-seeded Arantxa Sanchez of Spain, who turned back Linda Ferrando of Italy, 7-5, 6-1.

Graf waited out a 2 1/2-hour rain delay and needed just 47 minutes to put away her unseeded opponent.

Zrubakova, who turned pro last January and is already ranked No. 35 in the world, won the second and fifth games of the first set, successfully jumping on Graf’s power serve through much of the set.

But Graf served two aces in the first set and wore Zrubakova down with sharp forehands and passing shots.

Navratilova ousted Mandlikova in 74 minutes, dominating the net. But she acknowledged having trouble with the wind.

“It’s hard to figure out who’s playing well because of the conditions,” Navratilova said. “It’s just really ridiculous, the conditions out there.

“I was in slightly better shape in the wind than she was because my toss is lower than hers on my serve and because my ground strokes are shorter.”