Capriati Reaches Semifinals With Easy Win Over Sukova

Jennifer Capriati won again in her first professional event as she easily defeated fourth-seeded Helena Sukova of Czechoslovakia, 6-1, 6-4, in the quarterfinals of a $350,000 women’s tennis tournament Friday night. In today’s semifinals, the 13-year-old Capriati faces Laura Gildemeister of Peru, who continued her own string of upsets by beating fifth-ranked Jana Novotna of Czechoslovakia, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Top-seeded Gabriela Sabatini beat Dinky van Rensburg of South Africa, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2), and will meet No. 3 Mary Joe Fernandez in the other semifinal. Fernandez beat Amanda Coetzer of South Africa, 6-0, 6-1.

“I’m very excited,” Capriati said after beating the world’s 10th-ranked player in only her fourth professional match. “I didn’t expect to get to the semis. I thought I’d just come in and play my best.”

Capriati, of Saddlebrook, Fla., began the match with an ace. She then swept the first five games before the 6-foot-2 Sukova produced four consecutive aces to win her only game of the first set.