TENNIS ROUNDUP : Sampras Is a Winner in Sweden

Pete Sampras, playing in his first ATP Tour event since becoming the youngest U.S. Open champion in history Sept. 9, defeated David Wheaton, 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-4, Friday to reach the semifinals of the $1.1-million Stockholm Open.

Sampras has been sidelined by shin splints.

Other quarterfinal winners included Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker.

Edberg, the world’s top-ranked player, outlasted No. 7-seeded Brad Gilbert, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, before 12,350 at the Globe Arena.

Becker, who has lost only one indoor match this fall, to third-ranked Ivan Lendl in Japan early last month, beat No. 9-seeded Goran Ivanisevic of Yugoslavia, 6-4, 6-2.

Sampras will play Alexander Volkov of the Soviet Union in the semifinals. Volkov beat 1989 world junior champion Nicklas Kulti of Sweden, 6-2, 6-1, in a match between unseeded players.

Second-seeded Jennifer Capriati defeated qualifier Maria Strand- lund of Sweden, 6-1, 6-4, to advance to the semifinals of the $150,000 Puerto Rico Open at San Juan.

No. 6 Gigi Fernandez defeated Audra Keller, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, to set up a Capriati-Fernandez semifinal today.

Top-seeded Zina Garrison outlasted No. 8 Ann Grossman, 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-1, and unseeded Carrie Cunningham also advanced when she defeated upstart Argentine Florencia Labat, 6-3, 6-2.

Capriati defeated Meredith McGrath, 6-3, 6-2, in a match postponed Thursday because of rain.

Steffi Graf defeated Nathalie Tauziat, 6-2, 6-4, to advance to the semifinals of a WITA indoor tournament at Brighton, England.

In today’s semifinals, Graf meets Catarina Lindqvist of Sweden, who beat Italy’s Cathy Caverzasio, 6-2, 6-3. Third-seeded Helena Sukova also moved into the semifinals with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Sara Gomer of Britain.

Top-seeded Debbie Graham saved three match points against UCLA’s Kimberly Po and went on to join two Stanford teammates in the semifinals of the All-American Championships at the Riviera Tennis Club.

Graham, the 1990 NCAA singles champion, beat Po, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, in the second round. Po led 5-4 in the third set and was ahead 40-15 in the 10th game before Graham rallied.

Graham, who had match point against Monica Seles before losing in the semifinals of an exhibition tournament last summer, then beat Caryn Moss of Georgia, 6-4, 6-3, in the quarterfinals.

Graham will face Emilie Viqueira of California in today’s semifinals. The other match will pit defending champion and second-seeded Sandra Birch against Heather Williams.

Birch, the 1989 NCAA champion, eased to victories over Iwalani McCalla of UCLA, 6-2, 6-3, and Lisa Albano of California, 6-2, 6-1.

Willens upset fourth-seeded Shannan McCarthy of Georgia, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, in the second round and then beat qualifier Sakolwan Kacharoen of San Diego, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.

Viqueira defeated No. 3-seeded Trisha Laux of USC, 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5), in a four-hour marathon in the second round and then beat Kansas’ Eveline Hamers, 6-0, 6-1, in the quarterfinals.

Richard Fromberg, a clay-court specialist, and John Fitzgerald were named to a preliminary Australian team for the Davis Cup final against the United States Nov. 30-Dec. 2 at St. Petersburg, Fla.

They join Pat Cash, a former Wimbledon champion, Wally Masur, Darren Cahill and Mark Kratzmann, who were members of the Australia team that defeated Argentina, 5-0, in the semifinals.

Fromberg is the highest-ranked Australian singles player at 28th on the ATP Tour computer, and has won two clay-court tournaments this year.

Fitzgerald gets another chance after missing the semifinal against Argentina. He played in the first two rounds, against France and New Zealand, both on grass courts.

Jason Stoltenberg, Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde were dropped from the eight-man squad which prepared for Argentina.

Cash and Masur will probably play singles against Andre Agassi and Michael Chang on the clay surface being prepared for the final.

Rick Leach and Jim Pugh will team in doubles for the United States.