TENNIS : Jeremy Bates

TENNIS

Britain's Jeremy Bates, the second seed, reached the last four of the South African Open in Johannesburg yesterday. He enjoyed a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 victory over the South African qualifier, Neville Godwin, while the No 1 seed, Lionel Roux, lost 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 in the quarter-finals to his fellow Frenchman, Guillaume Raoux. Bates will face the No 3 seed, Martin Sinner, who reached the last four after his fellow German, Jrn Renzenbrink, retired due to a back injury while trailing 1-4 in the first set.

The top-seed, Spain's Conchita Martinez, and the second-seeded Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina dominated their third-round matches at the Bausch and Lomb Championships in Florida yesterday. The world No 4, Martinez, beat Irina Spirlea, of Romania, 6-1, 6-1 in 62 minutes. Seventh-ranked Sabatini was equally impressive as she beat her compatriot Bettina Fulco- Villella 6-0, 6-1. Martinez meets the fifth-seeded Amanda Coetzer, of South Africa, while Sabatini plays the sixth-seeded Ines Gorrochategui, of Argentina, in the quarter finals. The third-seed, Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria, takes on Laurence Courtois, of Belgium, and Sabine Hack of Germany meets Katarzyna Nowak, of Poland.

SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN (Johannes