TENNIS ROUNDUP : Sabatini Continues Her Reign Over Graf

Gabriela Sabatini continued her recent domination of Steffi Graf on Sunday, beating her for the seventh time in their last eight meetings in the final of the Bausch & Lomb tournament at Amelia Island, Fla.

The 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 victory gave Sabatini a tour-leading four tournament titles.

“I think confidence is the biggest difference,” Sabatini said after the match, her third victory over Graf in the final of this event in the last four years. “After winning so many times against her, it’s gives me an advantage.”

Said Graf: “The way she started was incredible, and the way she closed was just the same.”

The match was the second of the day for both players, who won rain-delayed semifinals in the morning. Sabatini also beat Graf in the final here in 1989 and 1991.

Graf, ranked second in the world, has lost only 23 singles matches since January of 1987 with 11 of those defeats coming against Sabatini, who had to win Sunday to retain her No. 3 ranking.

Graf reached the final for the fourth consecutive year and sixth time overall by beating Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, 6-7 (7-3), 6-4, 6-3. Sabatini defeated Conchita Martinez, 6-3, 6-3, in a rematch of last week’s Family Circle Cup final at Hilton Head, S.C.

Jim Courier, again the world’s top-ranked player, beat Richard Krajicek of the Netherlands, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), to win the men’s singles title of the Japan Open at Tokyo.

Courier regained the No. 1 ranking, which he had held briefly in February, when Stefan Edberg of Sweden lost to Krajicek in Saturday’s semifinals.

Carlos Costa won his second clay-court tournament in eight days with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 victory over Magnus Gustafsson in the Conde de Godo event at Barcelona, Spain.

Costa kept the ball away from Gustafsson’s forehand, his strength. Gustafsson had 37 unforced errors.