Tennis Roundup : Evert Advances to Semifinals in New Orleans

Top-seeded Chris Evert scored a 7-6, 6-4 victory Friday over 17-year-old Susan Sloane in the $250,000 Virginia Slims of New Orleans tournament and advanced to today’s semifinal match against fourth-seeded Stephanie Rehe.

Rehe, of Highland, Calif., rebounded from a listless first set to beat unseeded Robin White of San Jose, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3. The other semifinal will pit Anne Smith, a 6-4, 6-4 upset winner over Barbara Potter, against Monica Seles, a 14-year-old from Yugoslavia playing in only her third professional tournament. Seles had no trouble defeating third-seeded Lori McNeil of Houston, 6-1, 6-4.

In Basel, Switzerland, Stefan Edberg and Jimmy Connors each posted straight-set victories to advance to the semifinals of the $270,000 Swiss Indoor tournament.

Edberg beat eighth-seeded fellow Swede Magnus Gustafsson, 6-3, 6-4, while the second-seeded Connors had more trouble in ousting Amos Mansdorf of Israel, 7-5, 6-2.

In today’s semifinals, Edberg, ranked third worldwide, will play another countryman, fourth-seeded Jonas Svensson, who beat Diego Nargiso of Italy, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2.

Connors will play sixth-seeded Jakob Hlasek of Switzerland, who upset third-seeded Aaron Krickstein, 6-7, 6-3, 7-5.