TENNIS INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIPS : Marquee Matches: Graf-Sabatini, Seles-Capriati

Steffi Graf, meet Gabriela Sabatini. Again.

The rivals will tangle for the 28th time, and the third this year, in Thursday’s semifinals of the International Players Championships. Both advanced with straight-set victories Tuesday.

“I like to play against Steffi,” Sabatini said. “I always play my best tennis against her.”

A promising quarterfinal matchup looms today, when Jennifer Capriati, 14, will meet top-ranked Monica Seles, 17.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Capriati said. “She’s playing great, but if I play the way I’ve been playing, I think I have a good chance.”

Seles won their only previous meeting, in the semifinals of last year’s French Open. Capriati earned a rematch Tuesday by beating Barbara Paulus, 6-1, 6-3.

The top-seeded Graf improved her record against Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere to 16-0 with a 6-1, 6-3 victory. Sabatini, seeded third, eliminated No. 5 Zina Garrison, 6-3, 6-2. Fourth-seeded Mary Joe Fernandez ousted Pam Shriver, 6-2, 6-4.

For the second consecutive match, defending men’s champion Andre Agassi needed a 7-5 third-set victory to advance. The fourth-ranked Agassi moved into the round of 16 by beating Sweden’s Magnus Gustafsson, 6-7 (8-6), 6-2, 7-5.

Jim Courier, selected Tuesday to play for the U.S. Davis Cup team against Mexico later this month, reached the quarterfinals by beating fifth-ranked Guy Forget, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. Patrick McEnroe, who eliminated second-ranked Boris Becker on Monday, lost to Marc Rosset of Switzerland, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1. Eighth-ranked Emilio Sanchez reached the quarterfinals by defeating Michael Chang, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.

Sabatini has won 15 consecutive matches going into the semifinals. She is 7-20 lifetime against Graf, but has won three in a row, including the final of the Virginia Slims of Florida on March 10.

“My tennis has improved very, very much,” Sabatini said. “I’m playing smarter than ever, I think. I’m stronger. I’m tougher.”

Graf, seeking her first tournament title since November, said she’s been looking forward to facing Sabatini again.

“I hope to play the tennis I’ve played the last few days,” she said. “If I do, I think I will enjoy it a lot.”

The top four women have yet to lose a set at Key Biscayne, but there has been one surprise--wild-card Ginger Helgeson. She advanced to a quarterfinal match today against Fernandez by beating Regina Rajchrtova, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Helgeson, 22, has climbed to No. 151 in the rankings since leaving Pepperdine last May.

Gustafsson won his two previous matches against Agassi, and he was on the verge of another upset.

But the Swede double-faulted at 5-5, 40-30 in the final set and double-faulted again on break point to give the game to Agassi, who quickly served out the match.