TENNIS ROUNDUP : Novacek Holds Off Muster in Semifinals of Swiss Open

Third-seeded Karel Novacek of the Czech Republic defeated second-seeded Thomas Muster of Austria, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), in the semifinals of the Swiss Open clay-court tournament Saturday at Gstaad, Switzerland.

“In the second set, I was very unlucky,” said Muster, who squandered five set points, including three on his own service during the ninth game. “Every time it was an important point, he would hit lines. He hit magic shots.”

Rain interrupted the semifinal between top-seeded defending champion Sergi Bruguera of Spain and Germany’s Marc Goellner with the match tied, 3-3. The match will be completed today.

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Lisa Raymond, a 19-year-old from Wayne, Pa., upset top-seeded Gabriela Sabatini, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, in the women’s semifinals of the Gunze World tennis Tournament at Osaka, Japan.

Raymond will play South African Amanda Coetzer in the women’s final today. Coetzer outlasted Bulgarian Magdalena Maleeva, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.

In the men’s semifinals, top-seeded Petr Korda of the Czech Republic defeated Australian Mark Woodforde, 7-5, 6-2, and Alexander Volkov of Russia defeated second-seeded Wayne Ferreira of South Africa, 6-1, 6-2.

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Ronald Agenor of Haiti defeated Magnis Larsson, 6-4, 6-3, and Horst Skoff of Austria upset fifth-seeded Christian Bergstrom, 6-4, 6-4, in the semifinals of the Swedish Open at Bastad, Sweden.

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Greg Rusedski upset Alex Antonitsch, 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-5), and Javier Frana defeated Luis Herrera, 6-3, 6-1, in the semifinals of the Hall of Fame tournament at Newport, R.I.