BRIGHTON, England -- Gabriela Sabatini and Pam Shriver Saturday defeated their opponents in straight sets to advance to the final of the $200,000 Volvo Women's Classic.
Sabatini, ranked sixth in the world, defeated Czechoslovakia's Helena Sukova, 6-1, 6-3.
Shriver, of Lutherville, Md., beat fellow American Kathy Jordan 6-1, 7-5.
'I was surprised how easy it was,' said Sabatini, of Argentina, who needed just 59 minutes to dispose of Sukova. 'Everything I did was perfect.'
Sukova, the world's eighth-ranked player, struggled throughout the match. She won the second game, but Sabatini swept the next seven.
'If I go on playing like this, I could win a lot of tournaments,' Sabatini said. 'I need some physical conditioning and a little more experience, then I think I'll be ready to challenge Steffi Graf and Chris Evert.'
Jordan, of King of Prussia, Pa., has tried to battle back after injuries dropped her from the Top 10 to 100th in the world rankings. Limited to one victory in the opening set, she came close to tying the match by taking a 5-4 lead in the second set. But Shriver thwarted her at set point, taking that game and the next two for the match.
