Kafelnikov Is on Par in Advancing to Final

MELBOURNE, Australia —  Yevgeny Kafelnikov, the Russian who has flourished so well in recent years under the direction of Southern California’s Larry Stefanki, blasted his way past Magnus Norman of Sweden and into the men’s singles final of the Australian Open today.

Kafelnikov put a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 spanking on Norman, taking just an hour and a half to make his way into Saturday night’s final against Andre Agassi.

Part of the training regime that Stefanki, of La Quinta, has for Kafelnikov is that they play a lot of golf, even during tournaments.

“I played golf yesterday,” Kafelnikov said, “and it worked today, so I’ll probably play again tomorrow.”

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It may or may not have been an omen today when Martina Hingis and Mary Pierce lost the women’s doubles final. When top-seeded Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs prevailed, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, it marked the first time in 50 matches over the last three years that Hingis had been involved in a losing women’s singles or doubles match at the Australian. She has won the last three singles and women’s doubles titles.

The omen factor, of course, comes into play because Hingis will play the singles final tonight against Lindsay Davenport, the No. 2-seeded player from Newport Beach, who has a streak of her own going. She has defeated the top-seeded Hingis of Switzerland the last three times they have played, is the only player to have beaten Hingis nine times and also has won five of their last six and six of their last eight meetings.