Capriati Surprises Seles to Reach Chicago Final

Jennifer Capriati returned to the form that made her a star at 14, dominating the world’s No. 1 player, Monica Seles, 6-3, 6-3, on Saturday night and moving into the finals of the Ameritech Cup at Chicago.

“For me, it’s great to be out there, having fun and just playing again, coming out and playing well every night. That is what is important to me,” she said.

Seles said she was simply outplayed in her first match against Capriati since the quarterfinals of the 1992 French Open. “We played some good tennis, but Capriati played some great shots.”

Capriati, now 20 and ranked 50th in the world, will face second-seeded Jana Novotna in today’s final at the Illinois-Chicago Pavilion. Novotna overcame Martina Hingis, 7-5, 6-4.

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French Open champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov rallied to beat a tiring Petr Korda, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, in the semifinals of the Paris Open. In the other semifinal, Thomas Enqvist easily defeated injured fellow Swede Magnus Gustafsson, 6-3, 6-2. . . . Top-seeded Conchita Martinez of Spain beat Barbara Paulus of Austria, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, to win the Kremlin Cup at Moscow.

Golf

Scott Hoch shot a two-under-par 70 to expand his lead to four shots after three rounds at the $1.9-million Sarazen World Open at Braselton, Ga.

Hoch had a 54-hole total of 14-under 202 on the hilly 6,967-yard The Legends course at Chateau Elan, a resort 50 miles north of Atlanta.

Defending champion Frank Nobilo of New Zealand remained second after a 72.

Dave Eichelberger and Larry Gilbert shot even-par 70s to share the lead after the second round of the chilly, wind-swept Emerald Coast Classic at Milton, Fla.

Gilbert and Eichelberger were at four-under-par 136 after 36 holes, one stroke ahead of Jay Sigel and Dave Stockton at the 54-hole Senior PGA Tour event. . . . The wind and rain didn’t bother Maggie Will at the Japan Queens Cup, where she shot a one-under-par 71 to tie Mayumi Hirase for the second-round lead at four-under 140.

Baseball

Dodger pitcher Hideo Nomo received a loud ovation from Japanese fans and then led a U.S. major-league all-star team to a 6-1 victory in an exhibition against the top players from Japan’s Central and Pacific leagues in Tokyo.

“For me the important thing was letting the people of Japan see me pitch,” Nomo said after pitching three shutout innings. “I wanted them to get a taste of what major league baseball is all about.”

Andres Galarraga of the Colorado Rockies, Julio Franco of the Cleveland Indians and Texas’ Juan Gonzalez homered for the American team, which lost the first game of the eight-game tour, 6-5, on Friday. Game 3 will be played today.

The Cleveland Indians will not make an offer to free-agent outfielder Albert Belle until after a vote by major league owners on a new labor agreement, according to General Manager John Hart.

Miscellany

New Mexico State police will recommend that charges be filed against a high school football player expelled for wearing a sharpened buckle on his helmet that injured several players on an opposing team.

State Police Deputy Chief John Cordova said Mike Cito may be charged with aggravated battery, and his father, Stephen Cito, with conspiracy for allegedly sharpening the buckle.

The NCAA will send Arkansas a letter of inquiry alleging that school administrators don’t maintain sufficient control over the basketball program, CBS television reported.

The daughter of the university’s chancellor quit an academic counselor’s position in September after acknowledging she typed correspondence course papers for a basketball player, and last season the school let two players play before certifying their junior college transcripts.

Athletic Director Frank Broyles said the report was premature.

UCLA’s Mebrahtom Keflezighi won the men’s individual title, but Stanford’s men and women swept the team crowns in the Pacific 10 cross-country championship at Stanford. Arizona’s Amy Skieresz won the women’s title, with UCLA’s Kim Mortensen second and USC’s Emebet Shiferaw third.