October 26, 2002	Saturday	Sha’aban 19,1423

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STOCKHOLM,Oct 25: Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan continued his confident roll, knocking out Dutchman Raemon Sluiter 4-6, 6-3, 6- 4 in the quarterfinals Friday at the 650,000-dollar Stockholm Open.

The seventh seed from Asia will play Saturday for a place in the final at the Kungligahallen against either practice partner Tommy Robredo of Spain or difficult Frenchman Fabrice Santoro.

To reach the last four at an event for the third time since September, the 23-year-old Paradorn from Bangkok needed to piece together the puzzle that was Sluiter.

The Thai beat the European in the first round of the French Open at Roland Garros, taking five sets on the clay against a player whose unorthodox double-handed style accounted for world number one Lleyton Hewitt in the second round here.

Sluiter’s powerful shots were answered by Paradorn, who is aiming for a Top 20 standing at the end of his season, which ends with next week’s concluding Masters Series in Paris.

Sluiter, 25, who has spent at least half of his season on the lower-level Challenger circuit, won the opening set with a break.

The seed managed his break in the sixth game for a 4-2 lead after setting up the break chance with a passing shot. The Thai pulled level at a set each and then battled his way to a 5-4 lead in the third through another break.

Paradorn, winner of his first career title in August at Washington, and a quarter-final victor against Hewitt this month in Tokyo, scythed a winner down the line to earn two match points.

An error on the first got Sluiter off the hook, but the Asian secured victory on the second as his opponent volleyed wide.

Despite playing now for six straight weeks - he also won the Asian Championship in Korea in October - Paradorn says he hopes to still have another week or so of top play in him.

While Santoro and Robredo were to battle for a spot opposite Paradorn, a pair of Chileans were also due on court.

Quarterfinal results: Paradorn Srichaphan, def Raemon Sluiter, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 Tommy Robredo, def Fabrice Santoro, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

MANTILLA FINED

BASEL (Switzerland): Fiery Spaniard Felix Mantilla was fined US$ 1,000 after throwing his towel at the umpire’s chair after losing 2-6 6-3 7-6 to fellow Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero in their quarterfinal at the Swiss Indoors on Friday.

Mantilla’s outburst came on the first match point at 6-5 in the tie-break at the St Jakobshalle venue when Ferrero guided an angled backhand volley across court. It appeared to land out but there was no call.

American umpire Steve Ullrich also remained silent and, after both players had stood waiting for a ruling, Mantilla collected his towel and hurled it upwards towards the umpire’s chair.

Ferrero, the second seed, will next meet either seventh seed Fernando Gonzalez of Chile or Frenchman Arnaud Clement.

Results

Juan Carlos Ferrero bt Felix Mantilla 2-6 6-3 7-6 (7-5)

LUXEMBOURG OPEN RESULTS

Quarterfinal results: Kim Clijsters bt Laura Granville 6-0 6-4; Katarina Srebotnik bt Tina Pisnik 6-4 6-3; Virginie Razzano bt Janette Husarova 7-6 (8-6) 6-1

LINZ RESULTS

Quarterfinal results: Justine Henin bt Silvia Farina Elia (Italy) 7-6 (8-6) 6-2; Daniela Hantuchova bt Anna Smashnova 6-1 4-6 6-4; Alexandra Stevenson bt Jennifer Capriati 6-1 6-2.—Agencies