Graf Struggles in Reaching La Costa Final

Steffi Graf won again Saturday, advancing to the Toshiba Tennis Classic final, but the world’s top-ranked woman continued to struggle.

Graf defeated No. 83 Tami Whitlinger-Jones of Henderson, Nev., 6-3, 6-4, in the tournament semifinals, but it was hardly convincing. No. 2 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario was far more impressive in defeating No. 3 Conchita Martinez in an all-Spanish semifinal, 6-4, 6-1.

Graf will be seeking her fourth championship in the $400,000 tournament at La Costa Resort & Spa, and her second in a row, when she meets Sanchez Vicario at 11 a.m. today in a repeat of last year’s final.

Although Graf holds a 23-6 edge over Sanchez Vicario, she will not be favored today. She has been in a slump since the French Open two months ago where she was routed by Mary Pierce in the semifinals. She also lost in the first round of Wimbledon to Lori McNeil last month.

Graf was a bit more satisfied with Saturday’s performance than previous matches here.

Asked if she was happier with her semifinal victory, she said, “Yes, I played better. I was surprised the way she (Whitlinger-Jones) played. She didn’t make many mistakes. I was getting more into my shots.”

Still, Graf is not totally satisfied.

“I played some bad points, and I wasn’t ready for all my shots,” she said. “I didn’t have complete concentration. Against Arantxa, I have to step into my forehand and go to the net more.”

Graf has had trouble putting away overmatched opponents, and it was evident again Saturday when she hit rough spots after building leads of 5-1 and 5-2. Each time she lost two consecutive games before closing out the set.

Whitlinger-Jones, who had never reached the semifinals in five years on the tour, said, “It was frustrating to lose, but I’m happy with the way I played. This was a real test for me, and I finally feel like my game is coming together.”

Martinez, the Wimbledon champion, who defeated Sanchez Vicario in last week’s final in Stratton Mountain, Vt., was no match for her Barcelona rival this time. Her shots often lacked depth and authority, and Sanchez Vicario took full advantage.

“I made a lot of unforced errors, and I probably wasn’t patient enough,” Martinez said. “Arantxa doesn’t make mistakes, and she hits deep and moves you around.”

Sanchez Vicario attributed her victory to improvement in her serve-and-volley game.

“I went to the net a lot of times and put pressure on her,” Sanchez Vicario said. “I volleyed much better, and whenever I got a ball at mid-court, I made the shot.

“I just think I was much better than her today.”

That said, Sanchez Vicario looked ahead to today’s showdown against Graf:

“I’ll have to be at my best, but there is probably more chance to beat her now than there was in the past.”