TENNIS ROUNDUP : Graf on Pace for Another Title

In a tournament stunned Friday by a knife attack on Monica Seles, several other seeded players, including Steffi Graf, advanced into the semifinals of the $375,000 Citizen Cup at Hamburg, Germany.

Graf, seeded second to Seles, easily defeated Bulgaria’s Katerina Maleeva, 6-3, 6-1, while third-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vicario defeated Manuela Maleeva Fragniere of Switzerland, 7-5, 6-1.

Seles led, 6-4, 4-3, in a quarterfinal match against Bulgaria’s Magdalena Maleeva when a fan leaned out during a changeover and stabbed the world’s No. 1-ranked player in the back.

Graf, also second to Seles in the world rankings, continued her impressive run in the tournament. She has never lost in the tournament, winning the title since the Citizen Cup’s inception in 1987.

In her semifinal match today, Graf will face Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic, a 6-1, 6-3 winner over Anke Huber.

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Top-seeded Stefan Edberg moved into the semifinals of the City of Madrid Grand Prix with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Spain’s Alex Corretja.

Fifth-seeded Emilio Sanchez of Spain also advanced, outlasting fourth-seeded Carlos Costa of Spain, 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 7-5.

Third-seeded Sergi Bruguera and fellow Spaniard Tomas Carbonell will play in the other semifinal. Bruguera defeated countryman Jordi Burillo, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, and Carbonell defeated Franco Davin of Argentina, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.

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Ivan Lendl struggled to a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 victory over Gerard Solves of France to reach the semifinals of a tournament at Munich, Germany.

Lendl needed 2 hours 15 minutes to eliminate Solves, a qualifier who is ranked 394th in the world and had never before reached the main draw of a Grand Prix tournament.