U.S. OPEN / WOMEN’S MATCHES : Graf Practically Perfect Against Pierce, 6-1, 6-0

Mary Pierce, where were you Sunday night?

“I don’t know,” Pierce said. “Maybe somewhere on a deserted island in the sun, but not on a tennis court, that is for sure.”

Not for long anyway. Steffi Graf blasted Pierce, 6-1, 6-0, in 48 minutes, allowed Pierce only six points in the second set and moved into the fourth round of the U.S. Open in convincing fashion.

About the only thing Graf had trouble with was her knee, which she injured in practice when she banged it with her racket.

“I can’t play much better than that,” said Graf, who lost only 17 points in the match.

Said Pierce, who had five winners and 20 unforced errors: “I am really amazed.”

Gabriela Sabatini needed six match points and 2 hours 46 minutes before she could subdue 17-year-old Lindsay Davenport, 6-7 (7-1), 6-4, 6-4, to set up a quarterfinal showdown against Graf.

In her first U.S. Open as a pro, Davenport had no aces, eight double faults and made 75 unforced errors.

In her 20th U.S. Open, 36-year-old Martina Navratilova brought back those thrilling days of yesteryear, like, say, 1987, which was the last time she won here.

Shortly after dusting off Barbara Rittner, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, in a harder-than-expected third-round match, Navratilova said she must still be a factor in the singles field, mainly because she’s still in it.

“It is such a treat to still be out there and sometimes I just get tied up, all tied up inside and I can’t let my body flow,” she said.

Eventually, Navratilova flowed into the fourth round and an encounter with Helena Sukova. A victory would put Navratilova one Maleeva away--either Katerina or Maggie--from the quarterfinals as she attempts to win her fifth U.S. Open title.

“It would be nice to win this one again,” said Navratilova, who will be 37 next month.

Fourth-seeded Conchita Martinez, who said she is not a hard-court specialist, proved it by losing to Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere, 1-6, 6-0, 6-2, thanks to 38 unforced errors.

Kimiko Date, a 22-year-old from Japan, meets Maleeva-Fragniere next. Date upset eighth-seeded Jana Novotna, 6-4, 6-4, to move into the quarterfinals.