WIMBLEDON : Graf Makes It Look One-Sided : Tennis: She doesn’t miss a step against Capriati in quarterfinals. Novotna upsets Sabatini, faces Navratilova next.

Is there anybody left in this tournament who can beat Steffi Graf? It’s starting to appear doubtful, what with the women’s singles field at Wimbledon looking as thin as the grass on Centre Court.

As 17-year-old Jennifer Capriati dropped the ball and her serve in her big chance Tuesday, and with 36-year-old Martina Navratilova waiting around for her to strike a jolly good volley, Graf arrived in the semifinals with winning style and a faulty memory.

Graf turned back Capriati, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1, after saving a set point she had forgotten completely.

“I did?” Graf asked.

Yes, Steffi, you did, down 3-5, 30-40.

“I didn’t even know,” she said. “I mean, I was just taking it point by point at that stage, so I don’t know.”

After that, it was all very routine for the four-time and defending champion, who is starting to look like someone destined to be holding up some sterling silver hardware Saturday afternoon.

The only players separating Graf from another title are Conchita Martinez, who greatly prefers clay, and, probably, Navratilova.

Navratilova, the nine-time champion swept past Natalia Zvereva, 6-3, 6-1, setting up a semi-unexpected semifinal against Jana Novotna, who upset No. 4-seeded Gabriela Sabatini.

Novotna, a Grand Slam event semifinalist only twice before, scored a 6-4, 6-3 decision over Sabatini and looked forward to meeting Navratilova.

“I finally made it to Centre Court,” said Novotna. “It’s not going to be too easy to handle that . . . so I just hope that I can stay calm, you know, and play a good match.”

For anyone who was guessing what effect Sabatini’s French Open defeat by Mary Joe Fernandez would have--Sabatini led, 6-1, 5-1, 40-30--the answer is that she’s in recovery.

Sabatini said the Fernandez match had no effect on her losing to Novotna, who was 2-9 against Sabatini.

“I mean, a defeat like at the French happens not very often, and I think I’m playing very good tennis,” Sabatini said. “I’m not concerned about that. I just need to take some time off now and get ready.”

Capriati seemed ready to knock off Graf, which would have been something of a landmark. Graf was 7-1 against Capriati, having lost only at the Olympics.

Graf double-faulted to start the ninth game, trailing, 5-3. And when Capriati smoked a backhand passing shot down the line for set point, Graf was on the ropes.

But she didn’t know the score.

“I’m trying to do that,” she said. “Usually when I go on the court, I try not to think of the score. . . . Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Probably it worked very well today.”

Afforded a chance to win the set against Graf, Capriati sent a forehand cross-court, but wide. She made another unforced error on game point--another forehand long--and Graf was off the hook.

Graf jumped to a 5-0 lead in the tiebreaker and the match was basically over.

Capriati said her main problem had been Graf.

“Once she just starts rolling, she starts rolling, you know?” Capriati said.

Considering that Graf has won four Wimbledon titles, most everyone does know. Even Navratilova realizes what she is up against, but likes her chances anyway.

“The closer I get, the better I feel about it,” Navratilova said. “But you can’t go too much based on your last match or else you would be a total yo-yo.

“Sometimes it’s hard to produce your best tennis at a place like this. You just win on heart more than on form sometimes. . . . I’m playing good tennis, period.

“Forget my age, it doesn’t count.”

Tennis Notes

How is this for an escape act? Jim Courier, who plays Todd Martin in the men’s quarterfinals today, was defaulted in his third-round match against Jason Stoltenberg by chair umpire Jeremy Shales, but spoke to referee Alan Mills and talked Mills out of the default. Courier cursed Shales during the match and was given a code violation for audible obscenity. Shales asked Courier to approach the chair and told him he was being defaulted. But Courier asked for Mills, then told him that he didn’t deserve to be defaulted, Mills said. Courier was fined $1,500. Courier is 4-0 against Martin.

Pete Sampras is not going to be in tip-top shape when he plays Andre Agassi in the quarterfinals. Sampras aggravated tendinitis in his right shoulder during a fourth-round victory over Andrew Foster on Monday.

“It’s very tender,” said Bill Norris, the ATP trainer who supervised therapy on Sampras’ shoulder during the match and on Tuesday. “It’s something he probably has to play through. Under ideal circumstances, you would not play, but this is Wimbledon, so he has to put mind over matter. Pete can take pain pretty well, but of course you don’t know about the long-range effect of this.” Norris said that Sampras could develop problems with his rotator cuff if he continues to play with the same condition. “It’s a difficult call,” Norris said. “It’s got to be his call.” Agassi is 4-3 against Sampras, but they never have played one another on grass.

Boris Becker, who is 3-3 against Michael Stich, said he and Stich get along fine--sort of: “Friends we are not, but we are also not enemies.” . . . Wimbledon officials took no disciplinary action against Sampras for his alleged outburst of obscenity at the end of his match against Foster.