Graf Reaches Season-Ender, Williams Pulls Out

Steffi Graf is in and Venus Williams is out.

Graf, a five-time winner of the Chase Championships, earned a spot in next week’s season-ending 16-player tournament Thursday, thanks to Monica Seles’ 6-3, 7-5 victory over Japan’s Ai Sugiyama in the second round of the Advanta Championships at Villanova, Pa. Sugiyama could have qualified for the $2-million event by reaching the Advanta final.

The tournament, however, lost Williams, who would have been seeded fifth, because of a recurring knee problem.

Williams had been receiving daily treatment on the knee, which she strained earlier in the year, and as recently as last Friday said that she expected to be able to play--and win--the tournament.

Graf will open in Madison Square Garden against defending champion Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic. Graf last won the tournament in 1996.

At the Advanta Championships, Graf defeated Elena Likhovtseva of Russia, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-4, seventh-seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland lost to qualifier Amy Frazier, 6-3, 6-1, and sixth-seeded Natalie Tauziat of France improved her lifetime record against Lisa Raymond to 5-0 in a 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) victory.

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Top-seeded Marcelo Rios of Chile gained the quarterfinals of the Chevrolet Cup in Santiago, Chile, and strengthened his bid for the No. 1 world ranking with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Martin Rodriguez of Argentina on.

Pete Sampras’ first-round loss to Jason Stoltenberg of Australia in the Stockholm Open could pave the way for Rios’ return to theNo. 1 ranking if he wins his hometown tournament.

Second-seeded Felix Mantilla of Spain stopped Eduardo Medica of Argentina, 6-0, 6-1, to reach the quarterfinals. Jim Courier defeated Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.

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Big-serving Greg Rusedski of England was broken for the first time in the tournament, but scored a 6-1, 6-4 victory over American Vince Spadea in the Stockholm Open.

Canadian Daniel Nestor, ranked 115th in the world, eliminated sixth-seeded Cedric Pioline of France, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

Sweden’s Thomas Johansson, seeded seventh, easily defeated American qualifier Geoff Grant, 6-2, 6-1.

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Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia advanced to the semifinals of the Kremlin Cup with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over German qualifier Lars Burgsmuller in Moscow, and then said he will not play in the ATP Championships later this month because of a shoulder injury.

Jurisprudence

Washington Wizard forward Juwan Howard was awarded more than $100,000 in Rockville, Md., in a defamation-of-character suit against Melissa Reed, who last April accused Howard and former teammate Chris Webber of sexually assaulting her at a party at Howard’s Potomac, Md., home.

In May, a grand jury decided not to bring criminal charges against the two players. Reed did not show up for the proceeding and failed to respond to the lawsuit.

Judge Durke Thompson made it clear that he believed Howard and not Reed, saying, “Your reputation will be restored,” before also awarding him $1 in compensatory damages plus legal costs.

Dennis Rodman has been sued by a cocktail waitress who contends the Chicago Bulls star last month jammed a $100 bill down her blouse and grabbed her breast.

Susan Patterson, who works at the Fenix in the Argyle Hotel in West Hollywood, filed the lawsuit late Tuesday, accusing Rodman of assault, battery, negligence, false imprisonment and emotional distress on Oct. 3.

Miscellany

Suzanne Jackson, 46, the LPGA’s director of tournament operations since 1991 and one of the most respected rules officials in golf, died after a seven-year battle with breast cancer, the LPGA said.

Tonya Edwards scored 22 points to lead the unbeaten Columbus Quest to an 82-60 victory over the Colorado Xplosion in an American Basketball League game before 1,806 in Columbus, Ohio. . . . The San Jose Lasers got 18 points from Clarisse Machanguana in an 85-76 ABL victory over the Nashville Noise at San Jose.

Bulgaria’s Plamen Jeliazkov set a snatch world record of 352 pounds in the 152-pound weight class at the weightlifting world championships at Lahti, Finland. He won the title with a total of 770 pounds.

Olympic champion Cuba overpowered China, 15-4, 16-14, 15-12, at Osaka, Japan, to retain its women’s world volleyball championship.

The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation will expand to 16 teams in men’s soccer in 1999, adding Denver and previous members Air Force, New Mexico, San Diego State and Nevada Las Vegas. Cal State Northridge is coming off a one-year hiatus and will compete in the MPSF again in 1999.