TENNIS ROUNDUP : Navratilova Surprises Graf in Japan Semifinal

Third-seeded Martina Navratilova came from a set down to upset top-seeded Steffi Graf of Germany, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, today in the semifinals of the $750,000 Pan Pacific Open at Yokohama, Japan.

Navratilova is playing her first tournament of the year. She will meet the winner of the semifinal between fourth-seeded Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic and unseeded Larisa Neiland of Latvia for the championship.

Top-seeded Andre Agassi cruised into the semifinals of the $300,000 Volvo tournament at San Francisco with a 6-0, 6-4 victory Marcos Ondruska of South Africa.

Agassi will face Jeff Tarango of Manhattan Beach, who advanced with a 6-3, 6-0 upset of third-seeded Jaime Oncins of Brazil.

Second-seeded Brad Gilbert recovered from cramps and outlasted No. 7 Richey Reneberg, 5-7, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2, in another quarterfinal.

“That was a battle,” said Gilbert, who prepared himself for the match by eating a lot of bananas for potassium.

In danger of losing the match when he trailed, 6-5, in the second set, Gilbert regrouped to force a tiebreaker. After again falling behind, 7-6, he rallied to win the last three points--one with an 111-m.p.h. ace--to take the second set at the 2 1/2-hour mark.

“You can never push the panic button,” Gilbert said. “Not when it’s 7-6 in a tiebreaker. Maybe if I’m down 40-love in the second set, then it’s time to panic. If you’re down by 25 in the fourth quarter, or when you’re down by nine in the ninth inning, that’s when it’s over.”

The third set was short in comparison, Gilbert needing only 40 more minutes to complete the victory in 3 hours, 11 minutes--the longest match of the tournament.

Olympic champion Marc Rosset of Switzerland led four seeded players into the semifinals of the Marseille Open.

Rosset, No. 6, defeated Frenchman Rodolphe Gilbert, 6-4, 6-4. No. 3 Henrik Holm of Sweden beat another Frenchman, Arnaud Boetsch, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0.

Jan Siemerink of the Netherlands, No. 8, eliminated Italian Gianluca Pozzi, 6-3, 6-3. Seventh-seeded Jakob Hlasek of Switzerland edged No. 2 Sergi Bruguera of Spain, 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (5-7), 6-1.