TENNIS WOMEN AT SAN DIEGO : Seles, Capriati Sweep Into Today’s Final

MTV should be here for today’s Mazda Tennis Classic final instead of ESPN. They should be serving hamburgers and shakes at the concession stands instead of grilled chicken.

Youth continues to run rampant at the La Costa Resort and Spa.

Today’s championship match at noon will feature the two youngest finalists in a women’s tournament since the Open era began in 1968: Jennifer Capriati, who is 15 years 4 months, and Monica Seles, 17 years 8 months.

Each easily got past the semifinal round Saturday.

Top-seeded Seles beat No. 6 Nathalie Tauziat in 59 minutes Saturday night, 6-1, 6-2. Earlier Saturday afternoon, No. 4 Capriati beat injured second-seeded Conchita Martinez, 6-4, 6-0, in the most non-competitive match of the week.

The previous youngest tournament finalists emerged in the 1980 Florida Federal Open, in which Andrea Jaeger, 15 years 5 months, defeated Tracy Austin, 17 years 11 months, by default.

An added twist to today’s final: If Seles loses, she loses her ranking as the No. 1 women’s player in the world. She would be replaced by Steffi Graf.

Seles hasn’t had to think of losing much this week. She and Capriati have each won six sets in six attempts this week.

Capriati on Seles: “I have to serve well and just be totally on my groundstrokes.”

Seles on Capriati: “I’m going to have to go out and play my game and go for it. I’m going to hit to her backhand, and she’ll miss sooner or later. That’s the key here.”

Seles has won both Women’s Tennis Assn.-sanctioned matches the two have played. She won a semifinal matchup in the 1990 French Open, 6-2, 6-2, and then a quarterfinal match in the 1991 Lipton Players Challenge in Key Biscayne, Fla., 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.

But two weeks ago in an unsanctioned tournament in Mahwah, N.J., Capriati defeated Seles, 6-3, 7-5. This recent meeting is what the two will remember the most today.

Capriati on Mahwah: “Even if it doesn’t count on the computer, it still counts for yourself and for your pride. If I (beat Seles) there, why can’t I do it again?”

Seles on Mahwah: “I learned from that match, but when you play an exhibition, it’s different than playing a tournament.”

Seles had an easy time against Tauziat, although you wouldn’t think so after talking to the Frenchwoman.

“She didn’t win the match,” Tauziat said. “I lost the match.”

Said Seles: “The last time we played, it was around the same score. It’s always around there.”

As for Capriati, she wrapped up the second set in 15 minutes.

She won nine consecutive games, broke Martinez’s last five service games and won 35 of the match’s last 43 points. Martinez was shut out in four of the final six games.

It was as if someone clicked a switch and turned the lights out on Martinez. By the second set, it appeared that she didn’t even bother to try on some points.

She said afterward that she had a sore leg, and officials announced she had a pulled muscle in her left leg. Then, she withdrew from a doubles match scheduled shortly after her match with Capriati.

Martinez said she never considered pulling out in the middle of her match with Capriati.

“No, because I can walk,” she said. “If I couldn’t walk, OK.”

Martinez’s pain wasn’t noticeable--she wasn’t wincing or limping. Capriati didn’t know Martinez was hurt, either, until afterward.

“If she’s injured, she should stop,” Capriati said. “People are already going to start making excuses.

“The second set, she wasn’t moving. It was like she wasn’t even trying.”

It was only the second victory over a top-10 player this year for Capriati. Her other came when she defeated Martina Navratilova--then No. 4 in the world--at Wimbledon.

Now, she gets No. 1.

“I think I’m playing very well,” Capriati said. “I’m very happy with the way I’m playing.”

Tournament Notes

A crowd of 4,984 attended the afternoon session and 4,531 the evening session. . . . Today’s final is sold out but will be televised, on a tape-delay basis, at 2 p.m.