Kournikova Earns Match With Hingis

Accustomed to playing on the same side of the net as doubles partners, Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova will face each other in the semifinals of the Chase Championships at New York.

Hingis survived a mid-match lapse to defeat sixth-seeded Nathalie Tauziat, 6-1, 6-7 (2), 6-2, and Kournikova cruised past No. 4 Conchita Martinez, 6-4, 6-0, on Thursday.

The second semifinal pairing will be determined tonight when Monica Seles plays Amanda Coetzer, followed by Elena Dementieva against Kim Clijsters in a battle of teenagers.

Asked how to beat the world’s No. 1 player, Kournikova, who has yet to win a professional tournament, said:

“You have to do a lot of things. You have to be lucky. You have to play with no mistakes. You have to create everything yourself.”

Martinez, making her 12th appearance in this event, has never gotten past the quarterfinals.

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Alex Corretja of Spain earned the final spot for the year-end Masters Cup by reaching the quarterfinals of the $2.95-million Paris Masters tournament with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Wayne Ferreira of South Africa.

Joining Corretja in the field for the Nov. 27-Dec. 3 tournament at Lisbon will be the winners of the year’s four Grand Slam tournaments--Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Marat Safin of Russia and Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil--plus Magnus Norman of Sweden, Lleyton Hewitt of Australia and Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia.

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Second-seeded Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand defeated Iva Majoli of Croatia, 6-4, 6-3, to reach the quarterfinals of the Volvo Women’s Open at Pattaya, Thailand. . . . Yugoslav-born Jelena Dokic, who moved to Australia with her family six years ago, was quoted as saying she now wanted to represent Yugoslavia rather than Australia. In Sydney, a spokeswoman for Tennis Australia said its president, Geoff Pollard, was hoping to persuade Dokic, 17, not to break ties with her adopted country.

Soccer

Christoph Daum--coach-elect of Germany’s national team until he failed a drug test last month, was fired by Bayer Leverkusen and relocated to Florida--has passed a second test in the United States, his lawyers said in a statement released in Berlin. . . . The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, reduced the nine-month ban against Portugal national team defender Abel Xavier to six months. Xavier had been suspended after vehemently protesting a handball call against him that resulted in a game-winning penalty kick for France in the semifinal of the European Championship. . . . Torpedo Moscow midfielder Irmantas Stumbrys, a Lithuanian national team player, was found shot to death in a car in the Lithuanian city of Panevezys, the Russian first division club said. The case was being viewed as a possible suicide. . . . Kendra Payne scored two goals to lead Azusa Pacific to a 4-0 victory over Tiffin University of Ohio in the first round of the women’s NAIA championship tournament at Miami.

Miscellany

Jim Staunton, commissioner of the Southern Section, called Compton Dominguez High Principal Kelcey Richardson this week requesting information about possible improprieties in the boys’ basketball program, a section spokesman said.

Staunton called Richardson in response to a story The Times published last week examining the Dominguez program and Coach Russell Otis’ relationships with players, section spokesman Thom Simmons said.

Otis, 38, was arrested Nov. 2 by Los Angeles County sheriff’s detectives and was booked on suspicion of sexual battery, sodomy and oral copulation with one of his players. Otis posted bond for $100,000 and was released that night.

Otis has denied the allegations and has not been charged. He is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 28.

Athens 2004 organizers said they signed the biggest national sponsorship deal in the history of the Olympics--a $50-million agreement with the state-run telecom organization. The deal with Hellenic Telecommunications Organization was the first national sponsorship deal signed by Athens 2004. Several other national sponsorship deals are in their final stages.

Thirty countries, including the United States, agreed to pay half the costs of the World Anti-Doping Agency if it meets certain conditions, including presentations of a clear strategic plan and a five-year budget, and establishment as a nonprofit organization.

Sonja Nef of Switzerland won the women’s World Cup giant slalom when first-run leader Brigitte Obermoser of Austria slowed at Park City, Utah. Nef had a two-run time of 2 minutes 40.17 seconds.