AUSTRALIAN OPEN : Sampras, Courier Reach Semifinals

Jim Courier, trying to become the first man to win three straight Australian Open titles since the 1960s, joined Pete Sampras and Todd Martin in the semifinals on a sweltering, wind-swept Wednesday.

Courier, seeded third, overcame two set points in the opening set and then rolled to a 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 6-2 victory over No. 5 Goran Ivanisevic. Courier used sharp groundstrokes to repeatedly pass the Croatian at the net.

The victory set up a semifinal with top-seeded Sampras, who overcame a lethargic start and 17 double-faults to defeat Magnus Gustafsson, 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), in a center-court match that seemed as if it were played in a wind tunnel.

The air temperature was 100 degrees and the baking center-court surface registered 126 degrees during the Sampras-Gustafsson match. Combined with wind that reached 36 m.p.h., it made for a less than classic match.

“We both had a hard time controlling the ball. It was not the best of tennis. I just hung in there,” Sampras said.

A few minutes after Sampras won, No. 9 Martin completed a 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5) victory over MaliVai Washington on Court 1, where the wind made serving an adventure and where beer cups rattled around the mostly empty seats.

Martin will play the winner of the match between No. 4 Stefan Edberg and No. 6 Thomas Muster in the other semifinal.

On Tuesday, the best medicine for No. 4 Gabriela Sabatini was a straight-set victory over No. 5 Jana Novotna.

Sabatini, who awoke Tuesday with severe dizziness and nausea, took advantage of Novotna’s sloppy play to win 6-3, 6-4 and advance to the semifinals.

“I was very fortunate that I had to play in the evening because if I had to play during the day I don’t think I was going to make it,” Sabatini said.

Novotna made 39 unforced errors to only 10 for Sabatini. Her poor serves prevented her from coming to the net, forcing her into an uncharacteristic baseline game. Sabatini will play No. 2 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in one of Thursday’s semifinals. The other will match Steffi Graf against Kimiko Date.