Hingis Upsets Graf

Steffi Graf was ousted from the Italian Open in Rome by 15-year-old Martina Hingis, who has been touted as a possible successor to Graf as the world’s No. 1 woman player.

Hingis won the quarterfinal match 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, sending Graf to her first tournament loss in seven months and her first on clay since the 1994 French Open. Another upset victim was No. 3 seed Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, who fell to No. 7 Irina Spirlea of Romania 6-4, 6-3. Spirlea will meet Hingis today.

In the other, No. 2 seed Conchita Martinez, seeking a record fourth consecutive Italian title, will face No. 4 Iva Majoli, a 6-4, 6-1 winner over Nathalie Tauziat in a night match.

Martinez got by No. 5 Magdalena Maleeva 6-1, 2-6, 6-1.

In Hamburg, the German Open took on a Latin flavor as two Spaniards and a Chilean advanced to the semifinals.

Third-seeded Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov was the other quarterfinal winner, beating Spaniard Sergi Bruguera, a two-time French Open champion, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5).

Jimmy Connors, far and away the dominant force on the 35-and-over tour, retired in the third set of his quarterfinal match against John Lloyd in the Corel Champions tournament in Rockville, Md.

The top-seeded Connors was leading 6-4, 4-6, 2-1 when he had to retire with an injured right hip.