TENNIS ROUNDUP : It Takes Awhile for Graf to Win

Steffi Graf was delayed in starting because of elements beyond her control. Once she began playing, she took command, won five consecutive games in the second set, reached match point five times and still almost lost to Zina Garrison-Jackson.

In a match delayed because a spectator suffered a heart attack and another collapsed 30 minutes later from heat exhaustion, top-seeded Graf took 2 hours 15 minutes to eliminate Garrison-Jackson, 6-1, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, in Friday’s quarterfinals at the Virginia Slims of Florida in Delray Beach.

“A strange match,” Graf said.

She advanced to today’s semifinals against fellow German Anke Huber, who beat Mary Joe Fernandez, 6-4, 6-4.

Lindsay Davenport, a 16-year-old Murieta Valley High junior who turned pro last week, lost, 6-4, 6-2, to South Africa’s Amanda Coetzer a day after upsetting Gabriela Sabatini.

“I’ve played a lot of tennis these last two weeks, and I think it caught up with me,” Davenport said.

In the semifinals, Coetzer plays No. 2 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, who beat Barbara Rittner 6-1, 6-0.

The heart attack victim was hospitalized in critical condition. The heat exhaustion victim walked from the stadium.

Magnus Larsson and Brett Steven advanced to the semifinals of the Copenhagen Open tournament.

Larsson beat Guillaume Raoux, 6-3, 6-4, and in the semifinals will play Andrei Olhovsky, who beat Amos Mansdorf, 6-4, 6-4. Steven beat David Prinosil, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, and will play Nicklas Kulti, who beat Goran Prpic, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.