NEW YORK. Sept 8: Mary Pierce was all set to face Steffi Graf. Jana Novotna had other plans

Im very disappointed because I was looking forward to playing Steffi again.’ said Pierce, who upset Graf in the French Open semifinals earlier this year Instead, she lost to Novotna for the second time in two career meetings. 6-4. 6-0. reports AP.

With the victory, Novotna won a US Open semifinal meeting with Graf, who crushed Amanda Coetzer 6-0. 6-2 in today's first quarterfinal.

"If I can stay with her. I have a very good chance. ’ No-

votna said. Tf ahe play* the way she played againsl Coetzer tt will be very hard.

-She a Mill No. 1. Shea serving well and there a variety in her game. It will be hard. I have a chance ’

Neither Novotna nor Pierce took command in the opening set. which featured five service breaks while the two held only four times And In the end. it was Pierce who couldn't coo-

She was htttmg^qulte well in the beginning of the match.' Novotna said. "But It didn't work so she changed her game.'

For Pierce, tt was a change for the worst aa Novotna, growing more and more con-

fide nt ripped through the final Mx games

I was very confident that I sr-ftto' % serve and volley all the time. J JuM mixed up my game, waff very agfiresatve all the time ’

Novotna, who never made tt past the US Open fourth round until this year, moved Pierce from Mde to Mde and from the baseline to the net. waiting until her opponent made a mistake And that Pierce tfid tn abundance, committing 37 unforced errors. IS more than Novotna.

She never gave me any free points and I made too many nM-akes henr «.Hd.

The top seeded Graf seek mg her second straight and fourth overall title at the National Tennia Centre, took only 55 minutea to eliminate her 11th seeded South African foe.

Time la something I don't really care too much about.' said Graf, who haan t been ke^t on court more than 55 rmnutea byanyofhsriawvfc-

Eight minute* into the day's first match. Graf had aa many buo£«a 3-0 lead. In tbenext game. Coetzer reached game point for the first time. II. along with the game, were quickly victim* of Grafa relenilesa power game

The top seed loot her perfection eight games into the match when Coetzer held at 30. earning an ovation from the crowd in Louie Armstrong Stadium. Four game* later, she lost a 40-0 lead before finally holding serve again

Then came the seventh game when Coetzer threatened 1 to break Grafs Serve, twice reaching ad point.

It was Just a speed bump in Grafs road to the semi* aa the world's top-ranked player held with an ln»ide-out forehand passing shot, then broke Coetzer at 15 to close out the victory.

Second-seeded Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario and No 4 Gabriela Sei- Ini are the first two in the women's semifinals. Sanchez-Vicario advanced with a 6-3. 6-0 drubbing of No. 5 Kimiko Date of Japan, while Sabatini ousted unseeded Gigi Fernandez 6-2. 7-5.