WOMEN’S TENNIS : Graf Wakes Up, Defeats Raymond in Three Sets

Germany’s Steffi Graf survived an early scare as she stormed back to defeat Lisa Raymond, 6-7 (6-8), 6-2, 6-2, Wednesday in the third round of the $400,000 Toshiba Tennis Classic at the La Costa Resort and Spa.

Raymond matched Graf, the world’s No. 1-ranked player, stroke for stroke in the seesaw first set. But Raymond, a two-time NCAA champion, failed to keep pace in the next two sets as Graf elevated her game.

“I kept the ball more in the rally,” Graf said. “I was more patient. I think that was the big difference.”

Spain’s Conchita Martinez, ranked third in the world, made her tournament debut with an easy 6-0, 6-4 victory against Nathalie Baudone of Italy.

“I feel very confident,” said Martinez, the Wimbledon champion. “I feel I’m playing good tennis right now.”

Second-seeded Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain used strong ground strokes to defeat France’s Sandrine Testud, 6-1, 6-3, in a night match.

There were two upsets involving seeded players. Eighth-seeded Nathalie Tauziat of France dropped a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 decision to Tami Whitlinger-Jones of Neenah, Wisc., and Angelica Gavaldon of Coronado downed 14th-seeded Gigi Fernandez of Aspen, Colo., 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4.