TENNIS ROUNDUP : Courier Rallies to Beat Forget in Belgium

Top-seeded Jim Courier came from behind to defeat France’s Guy Forget, 6-7 (7-4), 6-4, 6-4, Friday and reach the semifinals of the European Community Championship at Antwerp, Belgium.

In a tight, 2 1/2-hour match, the world’s top-ranked player overcame an early mediocre spell before edging Forget with devastating groundstrokes.

Second-seeded Michael Chang scrambled in the backcourt and scored at the net to defeat Michael Stich of Germany, 6-3, 6-4, and join Courier in the semifinals.

Chang, sixth in the ATP rankings, will play Australian Mark Woodforde, who knocked out Sweden’s Magnus Larsson, 6-0, 7-6 (7-2), in his quarterfinal match.

Richard Krajicek defeated third-seeded Petr Korda, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (9-7), in the other quarterfinal.

In an exciting third set, Forget made two decisive errors at the net to give Courier the vital breakthrough at 3-3.

Once he had broken serve, Courier’s power from the backcourt put the match away.

“It was a few points here and there,” Courier said.

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Marc Rosset of Switzerland upset top-seeded Karel Novacek of Czechoslovakia, 6-4, 6-2, during a day of surprises in the Kremlin Cup in Moscow.

The upset wave in the quarterfinals caught up with two local favorites, two-time defending champion Andrei Cherkasov of Russia and 18-year-old Andrei Medvedev of Ukraine.

Cedric Pioline of France ousted fourth-seeded Cherkasov, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), and No. 3 Medvedev lost to Germany’s Carl Uwe-Steeb, 6-4, 6-7 (7-3), 6-3.

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Third-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vicario of Spain defeated Natalia Zvereva of Belarus, 6-2, 6-1, to advance to the semifinals of the Virginia Slims of Philadelphia.

No. 4 Jennifer Capriati beat No. 8 Lori McNeil, 6-2, 6-1.

“Just too tough for me,” Zvereva said. “I definitely can play better and can come up closer than I did today.”