Sporting Digest: Tennis

HOPMAN CUP (Perth) Semi-final: Czech Republic 2 Australia 1. Women's singles: J Novotna bt N Provis 6-2 6-2. Men's singles: P Korda bt W Masur 4-6 6-1 6-4. Doubles: Novotna and Korda lost to Provis and Masur 5-8 (reduced to first to win eight games).

AUSTRALIAN MEN'S HARDCOURT CHAMPIONSHIPS (Adelaide) Second round: G Stafford (SA) bt T Muster (Aut) 7-6 4-6 6-4; D Rikl (Cz Rep) bt J Morgan (Aus) 6-4 6-2; Y Kafelnikov (Rus) bt K Novacek (Cz Rep) 6-4 6-1; P Rafter (Aus) bt B Steven (NZ) 4-6 6-2 7-6.

AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S HARDCOURT CHAMPIONSHIP (Brisbane): Second round: B Rittner (Ger) bt J Limmer 6-1 6-4; N Medvedeva (Ukr) bt S Wasserman (Bel) 6-4 6-4; A Grossman (US) bt R Zrubakova (Slovak) 6-2 6-2; N Baudone (It) bt R Grande (It) 6-4 5-7 6-4; Shi- ting Wang (Tai) bt S Stafford (US) 7-5 5-7 7-5; I Spirlea (Rom) bt N van Lottum (Fr) 6-1 6-1; Fang Li (Ch) bt K Radford (Aus) 6-3 7-5; L Ferrando (It) bt P Begerow (Ger) 4-6 6-3 6-3; R Simpson- Alter (Can) bt S Testud (Fr) 3-6 6-3 6-2; M Jaggard-Lai (Aus) bt A Gavaldon (Mex) 6-2 7-6; F Labat (Arg) bt R Stubbs (Aus) 6-3 6-3.

HAWAII OPEN (Honolulu) First round: W Ferreira (SA) bt M Zoecke (Ger) 4-6 7-6 6-1; B Gilbert (US) bt B Pearce (US) 4-6 6-4 7-5; J Arias (US) bt F Santoro (Fr) 6-4 7-5; R Furlan (It) bt S Bryan (US) 6-4 6-2; J Grabb (US) bt K Ullyett (SA) 4-6 6-3 7-6; D Flach (US) bt C Suk (Cz Rep) 6-2 7-6; J Palmer (US) bt M Ruah (Ven) 6-3 6-4; A Finnberg (Ger) bt C Pridham (Can) 6-4 6-4; M Joyce (US) bt C Wilkinson (GB) 6-1 6-3.

QATAR OPEN (Doha) First round: K Alami (Mor) bt P Sampras (US) 3-6 6-2 6-4; P Haarhuis (Neth) bt T Carbonell (Sp) 7-6 4-6 6-1; A Olhovskiy (Rus) bt D Prinosil (Cz Rep) 6-4 7-5; C U Steeb (Ger) bt M Larsson (Swe) 7-6 5-7 6-2. Second round: S Edberg (Swe) bt A Jarryd (Swe) 6-1 6-1; H Leconte (Fr) bt J Eltingh (Neth) 6-3 6-1; R Agenor (Haiti) bt M Stich (Ger) 5-7 6-4 6-4; G Schaller (Aut) bt K Braasch (Ger) 6-2 1-0 ret.