Hobbled Sanchez Vicario Not in Her Usual Groove

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario long has traded on her remarkable durability as the underpinning of her success. In her willingness to track down every ball on the court and in her punishing tournament schedule, Sanchez Vicario always has been indefatigable.

Watching her match Friday in the quarterfinals of the Acura Classic was akin to listening to a 45-rpm record played at a slower speed. Like the small, fast-playing throwback, Sanchez Vicario wasn’t engineered to play at this speed.

A slower, hobbled Sanchez Vicario, seeded fifth here, was uncharacteristic in every way in a loss to Amy Frazier. Any show of vulnerability from the Spaniard is unusual, and the soft spots she revealed were exploited by Frazier, who won, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3, at Manhattan Country Club.

In an earlier match, fourth-seeded Lindsay Davenport had a slightly easier time advancing to today’s semifinals. Davenport defeated Nathalie Tauziat, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

Top-seeded Martina Hingis continued her run through the tournament unchecked. The Swiss teenager defeated sixth-seeded Anke Huber, 6-3, 6-0, in Friday night’s match.

“It got a little bit crazy,” a downcast Huber said. “I think she is even more confident than before.”

Hingis will play Davenport in today’s semifinal and Frazier will play second-seeded Monica Seles in the second semifinal, beginning at 6:30.

Sanchez Vicario turned her left ankle in the second set, required an injury timeout, and sank, stonelike, after that.

Sanchez Vicario wrenched the same ankle two years ago on the clay at Hilton Head and, for the first time in her career, defaulted from a match. She takes her pain tolerance as a point of pride, so Friday’s mishap was momentarily frightening.

“I was a little worried; it happened before,” she said. “At that moment there was pain, but I tried not to think about it.”

At 25, her once-indestructible body may be telling her it no longer will be able to answer every call. Never has Sanchez Vicario had a major injury. The former No. 1-ranked player has never been off the tour because of physical weakness or breakdown.

It’s beginning to change. There’s a lot of mileage on Sanchez Vicario, in her 13th year on the tour. Every year she is one of the top five players in number of events played. In addition, she always makes herself available to play Fed Cup for Spain.

She’s one of the rare players still committed to playing singles, doubles and, until recently, mixed doubles, at Grand Slam events. Sanchez Vicario has a combined 12 Grand Slam tournament titles to show for her efforts.

She also has earned a boatload of money. Only Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf have earned more in their careers.

Sanchez Vicario has not yet adjusted her pace. A newly instituted ranking system rewards a high volume of play, so Sanchez Vicario cannot back off, even if she wanted.

“With this rankings system, even if you don’t play, they pass you,” she said. “I’ve always been able to maintain good physical shape and be fit. I know how much I can play.”

Upbeat and laughing after the match, Sanchez Vicario resisted attempts by reporters to usher her into retirement.

“There was a time when I would win these matches, the three sets,” Sanchez Vicario said. “Now, sometimes I win, sometimes I don’t. That happens to everyone. I may look older because everyone is 15 or 16. I still enjoy the game. I still have fun. When I don’t feel that way, I’ll stop.”

It’s a sentiment Davenport shares. She’s still having fun, mostly when she can play Fed Cup or in the Olympics. The defending champion here may wish to distill whatever it is she gains from team competition and graft it onto tour events.

Her father, Wink, was a member of the 1968 U.S. Olympic volleyball team. Before the Atlanta Olympics, father counseled daughter to savor the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Fed Cup has the same appeal to Davenport. The event’s flag waving and teamwork are oddities in this individual sport. Davenport has thrived in the format, first under team captain Billie Jean King and this year with Navratilova.

Each captain managed to tap into Davenport’s enthusiasm for working with others, as a change from the relentlessly “me” orientation of the WTA Tour.

On a tour whose spoils have been monopolized by Martina Hingis, who has won nine titles, Davenport and Iva Majoli are the only two players to have won more than one title.

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Acura Classic Semifinals at Manhattan Country Club

TODAY, CENTER COURT

* Noon: Martina Hingis (1) vs. Lindsay Davenport (4).

* 6:30: Monica Seles (2) vs. Amy Frazier.

SUNDAY’S FINAL

* Semifinal winners meet at 11 a.m. (TV: Channel 2)