Seles, Dementieva Advance to Semifinals

Monica Seles, playing probably her last Chase Championships, and Elena Dementieva, playing in her first, won Friday night to set up a meeting in the semifinals of the season-ending tournament.

Seles pounded out a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Amanda Coetzer before Dementieva defeated Kim Clijsters, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Today’s semifinals will pit doubles partners Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova against each other, followed by Seles and Dementieva.

“I’m a fighter,” Seles said of trying to win her fourth title on the blue Madison Square Garden carpet, but her first since 1992. “I go out and I’m very competitive on the court and just do the best that I can.”

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Marat Safin and Gustavo Kuerten, both vying to finish the year at No. 1, advanced to the semifinals of the $2.95 million Paris Masters.

Safin, the top-ranked player who is seeded second in the tournament, defeated eighth-seeded Alex Corretja of Spain, 7-6 (5), 6-3, and will face Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain, a 6-4, 6-7 (10), 7-5 winner over France’s Fabrice Santoro.

The top-seeded Kuerten defeated Albert Costa of Spain, 6-3, 6-4, in an earlier quarterfinal and will face Mark Philippoussis, who defeated Germany’s David Prinosil, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3).