TENNIS ROUNDUP : No. 1 for Now, but Seles Falls to Sabatini, 6-3, 6-2

Monica Seles knows her reign as the top-ranked women’s player in the world is tenuous.

Seles was defeated in a final for the second time in seven days, 6-3, 6-2, this time by third-ranked Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina Sunday at the Italian Open in Rome. Last Monday, second-ranked Steffi Graf of Germany beat Seles to win the German Open.

“There is no question that Gabriela, Steffi, (No. 4) Martina (Navratilova) and I are all very close,” Seles said. “It really depends on who is in better shape that particular week, and who has a little luck.”

Sabatini, 21, dominated Seles, 17, in a match interrupted by rain. The Argentine, having one of the best runs of her career, displayed an aggressive all-court game, rushing the net and scoring winner after winner with sharply angled forehand drives.

“I am playing better and better,” Sabatini said. “I have a lot of confidence now. Everything is coming together.”

Seles grabbed the No. 1 spot on March 11, ending Graf’s record 186 consecutive weeks at the top. Last week, Graf defeated Seles in three sets. Since Seles became No. 1, she has lost three finals--two to Graf and one to Sabatini.

Seventh-seeded Jaime Yzaga of Peru beat Jimmy Arias, 6-3, 7-5, to win the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships at Charlotte, N.C.

Yzaga, ranked 76th in the world, handled Arias with ease in the first set, breaking his serve three times.

Arias got back into the match in the second set, taking a 4-3 lead by breaking Yzaga’s serve in a marathon game in which Arias won on his ninth break point.

But Yzaga responded by breaking Arias in the next game and took a 5-4 lead by serving a love game.

Yzaga had triple-match point in the next game, but Arias fought back to tie it again, 5-5.

Yzaga won the next two games, breaking Arias on a cross-court forehand to win the match.

Karel Novacek of Czechoslovakia outlasted Magnus Gustafsson of Sweden, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 0-6, 6-1, to win the German Open at Hamburg.

Novacek needed 2 hours 56 minutes to record his second victory of the year and the fifth of his career.

Gustafsson, bidding for his second consecutive title after winning at Munich last week, appeared to be in charge after winning the fourth set.

But Novacek took a quick 2-0 lead in the fifth set. He lost his serve in the next game, but broke back and went on to take a 5-1 lead when Gustafsson served his 10th double-fault of the match.