Tennis Roundup : Hanika Beats Reggi, Reaches Semifinals in New York

Unseeded Sylvia Hanika of West Germany gained the semifinals of the $1-million Virginia Slims Championships Thursday night in New York with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-0 victory over Raffaella Reggi of Italy.

In Saturday’s semifinals, Hanika will play the winner of the match between top-seeded Steffi Graf of West Germany and No. 7-seeded Helena Sukova of Czechoslovakia.

Hanika, who upset Chris Evert in the opening round, survived three break points in the first game of the final set, then took command by breaking in the next game on a forehand pass from the baseline.

After five deuce points in the fourth game, Hanika broke serve again on her fourth break point.

“I really started playing well in the third set and I got my serve together,” Hanika said. “I’m surprised I’m playing so well. I didn’t think it would be this great before the tournament.”

Reggi committed 11 double faults, seven in the opening set. She lost the first 10 points on her serve and won only two points in four service games.

“In the first set I was serving very bad,” Reggi said. “I’ve been working on it two years. I’ll have to start like a 5-year-old girl to get my grip, my motion. I’ve got to start from top to bottom.”

Reggi lifted herself back into the match in the second set with breaks in the third and fifth games, racing to a 5-1 lead.