San Diego Women’s Tennis : Reggi Comes Back With a Scream in 3 Sets : Third Seed Eliminates Demongeot; McNeil Stops Unseeded Hakami

SAN DIEGO —  Raffaella Reggi slapped herself.

She screamed in Italian.

She had just won a point.

This isn’t self-abuse; this is tennis motivation, Reggi style.

“I try to get more intense,” said Reggi, a native of Faenza, Italy.

Friday, Reggi’s court intensity worked in the quarterfinals of the San Diego Virginia Slims tournament. After losing the first set, third-seeded Reggi came back to defeat Isabelle Demongeot, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. In today’s semifinal, she will play Nathalie Tauziat of France.

Reggi’s antics also helped win over the crowd. Grunting with each stroke and mumbling in Italian, the 21-year-old occasionally shouted “Dai!”

“It’s Italian for ‘Come on,’ ” Reggi said. “I don’t use any bad words.”

Despite her outbursts, Reggi, ranked 21st in the world and No. 1 in Italy, said she’s quite retiring off the court.

“My parents, they don’t even recognize me on the court,” she said.

However, she realizes that some people may not buy her “shy and quiet” description.

“Maybe I’m more Americanized now,” she said with a shrug.

Reggi, who started playing tennis when she was 6, came to the United States when she was 15 to attend Nick Bolletteri’s tennis academy in Florida. At the time she didn’t understand English.

“I knew ‘Hi,’ ‘How are you,’ ‘Yes’ and ‘No,’ ” she said. “I had no clue what anyone was saying.”

But Reggi is a fast learner. She now loves actor Robert Redford and novels by Sidney Sheldon, and, if it wasn’t cloaked in a thick Italian accent, her conversation would sound like that of a typical American teen-ager.

Now, Reggi wants to improve her tennis game.

“I think I have the right attitude,” she said. “I want to learn. I know my game can improve 40 to 50%.”

And Reggi knows exactly where she wants to improve.

“I have to learn how to serve,” she said. “I have no clue.

“I just try to keep the first serve in, but it’s like a gamble.”

It was her opponent’s service problems that allowed Reggi to win Friday’s match. Demongeot double-faulted 11 times, including four times in the final set. Reggi had only three double faults. The players were even on service breaks with six apiece.

But Reggi doesn’t expect such luck to continue. Thursday, after beating fellow Italian Laura Garrone 6-0, 6-0, Reggi didn’t think she was playing well enough to win the tournament.

“Today I feel less confident,” she said Friday.

Top-seeded Lori McNeil came from behind once again to beat Elly Hakami, the tournament surprise, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1).

In the second set, McNeil was down 4-1 to the unseeded 17-year-old.

“I had a lapse in concentration,” said McNeil, ranked No. 11 in the world. “But I concentrate better when I’m down.”

Hakami said she was pleased with her play, but said she couldn’t find her rhythm. McNeil had the same complaint.

“No I don’t think I’ve peaked yet,” McNeil said. “I’ve got to play more consistently.”

In her semifinal match, McNeil will play Anne Minter of Australia, who defeated Nathalie Herreman of France, 6-2, 6-4.

Though her opponent in today’s semifinal may not be feeling confident, Tauziat is.

“I think I could have the match,” Tauziat said about her match with Reggi. Tauziat has never played Reggi before, but thinks she will benefit from Demongeot’s experience because the two French players share the same coach, Regis DeCamaret.

Tauziat, the tournament’s eighth seed, beat second-seeded Kate Gompert of Rancho Mirage, Calif., 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

Tauziat is the only one of three French players in the quarterfinals to advance.

Tournament Notes There has been extensive criticism of the tournament’s line judges by the players. “The line calling has been so bad, it’s been scary,” said Gompert, who, at match point against Tauziat, had her shot called out, then corrected, then overruled by the chair judge. “I know the judges are overworked, but on crucial points . . .” Tauziat admitted the ball was good, but said, “What could I do?” Reggi also was the beneficiary of a controversial call on the second-to-last point of the match. “To be honest with you, that ball was absolutely good,” Reggi said. “But that was one point--it didn’t change the match.” Demongeot, who was visibly upset by the call, said, “It’s finished now. She (Reggi) has to say (the ball was good) on the court.” Doubles results: Third-seeded Rosalyn Fairbank and Candy Reynolds defeated Lea Antonoplis and Barbara Sue Gerken, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1. Fourth-seeded Elise Burgin and Sharon Walsh-Pete defeated Kathleen Horvath and Marcella Mesker, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3). Seventh-seeded Jana Novotna and Catherine Suire defeated Peanut Louie Harper and Heather Ludoff, 6-3, 6-4.