PARIS.June 5: The sometimes tedious preliminaries are over, and four of the best players in women's tennis are ready to square off in French Open semifinals that they welcome as eagerly as the fans, reports AP.

"When I get to the semis, it s a relief." said Monica Seles, the top seed and defending champion.*! know from here on in I have to play great tennis".

First in line for Seles is one of the two women vying to usurp her No 1 Ranking. third seeded Gabriela Sabatini Each has tost only one set in the first five rounds.

Steffi Graf, also In the hunt for the No 1 spot, plays Aran txa Sanchez Vicario in Thursday s other semifinal. It's a battle of two former French Open champions, neither of whom has tost a set thus far.

The only semifinalist who hasn't won the tournament before is Sabatini,owner of the best won-lost record on the tour this year.

1 have a very tough match," Seles said, happily. If I wln.l have another tough match*.

One of the men's semifinals was set Tuesday, when Boris Becker and Andre Agassi demolished their quarterfinal foes. Agassi routed Jakob Hlasek in 75 minutes, 6-3,6-1.6-1. while Becker said he played "almost perfect* tennis against Michael Chang, winning 64,64,62.

Agassi and Becker have split their six head-to-head matches, with Agassi winning the last three.

in the other half of the men's draw, top-seeded Stefan Edberg was to play for a semifinal berth Wednesday against ninth-seeded Jim Courier.The other quarterfinal matched 12th seed Michael Stieh of Germany against Argentina s Franco Davin.

Sabatini had the toughest prelude to the semifinals. Twice a point from defeat against Jana Novotna, she bat tied to a 5-7.7-6(12-10). 6-0 victory, winning 10 of the last 11 games in what she desertbed as one of her greatest comebacks.

Sabatini trailed 5-2 in the second set before rallying, and

she twice save match points In the tie breaker That seemed to demoralize Novotna, the sixth seed, who succumbed meekly in the final set.

"1 gave everything in the first two sets," Novotna said 1 felt there was not much left mentally to fight for."

"Now, it will be the big matches.'said the Argentine, whose record this year Is 40-3

Sabatini, like the other semifinalists said she was looking forward to the upcom-Ing showdowns.

Seles won 6 0,7-5 over sen venth-seeded Conchita Martinez of Spain, who dropped the first set In 23 minutes but battled gallantly In an hour long second set.

Graf Improved her career record against France’s Nathlle Tauziat to 14-0 with a 6-3, 6-2 victory. Sanchez Vicario, seeded fifth, overpowered No. 4 seed Mary Joe Fernandez, also 6 3,6-2.

Sanchez Vicario, who as a 17 year old beat Graf In the title match two years ago, said she felt no qualms about a rematch.

Graf also was asked about the 19H9 final

"People will always remember it,* she said."But I’ll try to make the memory change and do better this time."

SABATINI’S ESCAPE

It was the third consecutive time that Sabatini had rallied after being within one point of losing to Novotna.

Sabatini came from behind to beat Novotna at the Euro pean Indoor semifinals in Geneva and the Virginia Slims tournament in New York last year.

She was in familiar territory when she was down 8 7 and 9 8 In the tie breaker. She knew she still had a chance to win.

"Sometimes that came to me.* Sabatini said. T knew I had to keep fighting

Both times Novotna committed an error that tied the score and gave Sabatini another chance.

”1 always play too safe," Novotna said "Maybe I should have done something else, but now It's too late to think about

Sabatini wasted six set points of her own In the tiebreaker before finally winning. Then she routed Novtna tn the third set, giving up just 12 points.

Sabatini played some men tai games with Novotna by dancing around a bit when Novotna was serving on impor lant points 1 was trying to make her miss, Sabatini said."I was trying to do something to put her off.

Now Sabatini Is In the semifinals for the fourth time.She will meet defending champion Monica Seles on Thursday.

" I am happy to be in the

semis." Sabatini saidTt's a big match and I feel very prepared mentally, and physically I feel 'sabatin! already holds a victory this year over the top ranked Seles, beating her tn the Italian Open final. And the Argentine has the best record on the women’s tour this sea son with a 40-3 mark.

Novotna tout played Sabatini at the French Open last year.

That was Sabatini said