Sabatini Defeats Steffi Graf

Gabriela Sabatini defeated top-seeded Steffi Graf 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) today in the quarterfinals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open, winning their 2 1/2-hour match in a third-set tiebreaker.

Sabatini said it was one of the best matches the two had ever played.

“I kept putting pressure on her and played aggressively even when I was down,” she said.

Martina Navratilova, the No. 3 seeded playing in her first tournament since knee surgery in November, breezed past fellow American Robin White 6-2, 6-3.

In other quarterfinal matches, No. 4 Mary Joe Fernandez of the United States beat Japan’s wild-card entry Nana Miyagi 6-0, 6-2 and No. 7 Laura Gildemeister beat American Kathy Rinaldi 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.