Pierce Scores Another Knockout of Graf

Proving Paris was no fluke, Mary Pierce ousted defending champion and top-seeded Steffi Graf on Thursday night to grab the first semifinal berth in the season-ending Virginia Slims Championships at New York.

Pierce, who ousted Graf in the French Open semifinals, beat her this time, 6-4, 6-4, on the Madison Square Garden carpet.

The victory moved Pierce, seeded fifth, into Saturday’s semifinals against the winner of today’s quarterfinal between No. 4 Jana Novotna and No. 7 Lindsay Davenport.

In another quarterfinal, Argentina’s Gabriela Sabatini rallied to defeat France’s Julie Halard, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Martina Navratilova, who retired from singles tennis competition after her match on Tuesday, lost her doubles match and then hinted that she might continue to play doubles. Navratilova and Manon Bollegraf of the Netherlands lost to Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Jana Novotna in a semifinal doubles match, 6-2, 6-4.

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Pete Sampras rallied to beat Stefan Edberg, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), and stay alive at the IBM/ATP Tour World Championship at Frankfurt, Germany. In other matches in the round-robin event, Andre Agassi beat Michael Chang, 6-4, 6-4, and Sergi Bruguera beat Alberto Berasategui, 6-3, 6-2.

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The U.S. Davis Cup team will play its 1995 opening-round matches against France in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Feb. 3-5.

Baseball

The Texas Rangers are trying to engineer a three-way trade with the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox that would send Jose Canseco to Boston for Houston center fielder Steve Finley, the Dallas Morning News reported in today’s editions.

The key to the Rangers’ making a deal is whether Houston General Manager Bob Watson includes 12-game winner Doug Drabek instead of left-hander Greg Swindell, whom Houston is actively offering, the newspaper said.

Harry Caray, broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs, is in the hospital to undergo tests for a bladder infection, according to his wife, Dolores, who said his condition is not serious.

Golf

Robert Gamez, citing beginner’s luck, shot an eight-under-par 65 for a four-stroke lead over five players after the first round of the Pebble Beach Invitational. Gamez said he had never played the famed course before this week.

Howard Twitty shot an eight-under-par 64, equaling the course record, in taking a five-stroke lead after the opening round of the Mexican Open at Mexico City.

Jurisprudence

Former featherweight boxing champion Ruben Palacio of Colombia pleaded not guilty to charges of importing and possessing heroin with intent to distribute. Palacio was arrested Nov. 6 at Miami International Airport and remains in jail without bond.

College Basketball

Several members of the Simon Fraser University women’s team of Bumaby, Canada, were hurt when their van skidded off a road in the state of Washington, but there were no broken bones.

DePaul Athletic Director Bill Bradshaw said the university is investigating several options before committing to a new conference. The school is considering the Atlantic 10 and a new league with several fellow members of the Great Midwest.

Miscellany

Dale Earnhardt, who won four stock car races and finished second six times, was voted driver of the year by a panel of national motorsports journalists.

Russia, with only one 1992 Olympic gold medalist, beat Germany by more than two points in the men’s optional competition at the World Gymnastics Team Championships in Dortmund, Germany. The U.S. squad--which included two Olympians--finished ninth.

The Canadian Football League announced plans for a team in Memphis next year run by Pepper Rodgers, a former coach with UCLA, Georgia Tech and the Memphis Showboats of the USFL.