Williams Doesn’t Pay Any Mind to Sanchez-Vicario This Time

Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario has won four Grand Slam titles for a reason.

Quite often, the Spaniard has pulled out matches with a tool many players often overlook . . . her mind. When Plan A doesn’t work, she’ll try B or C.

But Serena Williams wouldn’t allow let her to get to C, much less D, on Thursday night. Ever mindful that she has lost matches to Sanchez-Vicario twice after holding big leads--including at the 1998 French Open--Williams kept the pressure on throughout their quarterfinal match

The sixth-seeded Williams defeated No. 4 Sanchez-Vicario, 6-2, 6-3, in 61 minutes in the Acura Classic at the Manhattan Country Club in Manhattan Beach. It was her first victory against Sanchez-Vicario.

In Saturday’s semifinals, she will play the winner of today’s quarterfinal between No. 2 Martina Hingis of Switzerland and No. 7 Barbara Schett of Austria. Hingis has not lost to Schett in seven matches.

Earlier, there were three other second-round matches. Top-seeded and defending champion Lindsay Davenport of Newport Beach took advantage of a four-day break and returned rested and somewhat refreshed, defeating Anke Huber of Germany, 6-2, 6-2.

Last week, Huber nearly beat Davenport in the quarterfinals at La Costa, losing in two close sets. This time, Davenport attacked Huber’s second serve and Huber didn’t help herself, double-faulting six times.

“I don’t think she played nearly as well as she did last week,” Davenport said.

Injuries affected the other two matches. Schett lost the first set, 6-2, and was ahead, 4-2, in the second when Natasha Zvereva of Belarus strained her right ankle and was forced to withdraw.

“I wouldn’t say that I won because she was leading,” Schett said. “I wasn’t very satisfied with the way I was playing.”

Conchita Martinez of Spain defeated Corina Morariu, 7-5, 6-2. Morariu took a medical timeout after the first game of the second set for a strained right elbow but resumed playing after the treatment.

In the other quarterfinal matches today, Davenport will play Martinez, and No. 3 Mary Pierce of France will play countrywoman Julie Halard-Decugis. Martinez is 7-2 against Davenport, but they have played only once since 1997. Halard-Decugis is 2-0 against Pierce, and they have not met since 1994.

Williams, for her part, was facing some negative history against Sanchez-Vicario, having lost to her four times. But she felt confident nonetheless.

“I knew I would either win the match or I would lose it because there nothing she could really do to win the match,” she said. “I knew it was my match. It was up to me to do whatever I needed to do.”

Sanchez-Vicario said she “tried almost everything” and claimed victory on one front.

“I didn’t win the match, but I won the crowd,” she said.

She also provided one amusing moment in the second game of the second set after receiving a questionable call on the baseline. Sanchez-Vicario lightly tapped the baseline linesman on the head with her racket twice.

“There were some close calls,” she said. “There’s nothing you can do, but when it comes at an important moment, it can change a lot of things. I didn’t mean to do that. I just did it too hard. I really thought [her shot] was long.”

*

So, will she or won’t she?

That seems to be the question nearly every week with French Open champion Steffi Graf, who will hold a news conference today in Heidelberg, Germany, to discuss her future, according to her management agency.

This has led to speculation that Graf might pull out of next week’s event in Toronto or possibly the upcoming U.S. Open. She has played one WTA event since losing in the Wimbledon final to Davenport. Graf withdrew because of a strained left hamstring at La Costa last week in the third set of her second-round match against Amy Frazier.

But officials at the event in Canada said Thursday that they have not been notified that Graf is withdrawing. The draw for the tournament is being held today.

Acura Classic

STADIUM COURT

Manhattan Country Club

* Beginning at 12:30 p.m.--Mary Pierce (3) vs. Julie Halard-Decugis; Barbara Schett (7) vs. Martina Hingis (2).

* 7 p.m.--Lindsay Davenport (1) vs. Conchita Martinez.