No. 1 seed Patrick Rafter won two matches Friday to advance to the semifinals of the rain-delayed Heineken Trophy grass court tennis tournament.
The Australian, seeded No. 6 at next week's Wimbledon, followed a tough second round win over Ukrainian Andrei Medvedev 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), with an easy quarterfinal ride against Dutchman Sjeng Schalken, 6-1, 6-4.After rain all week and a total washout Thursday, organizers scheduled two complete rounds of matches Friday to get the tourney back on track.
But the strain was too much for Richard Krajicek's left knee. After a winning a lengthy struggle with Czech Slava Dosedel, 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (7-4), 6-3, the Dutchman pulled out of his quarterfinal against compatriot Dennis van Scheppingen without hitting a ball.
Krajicek, the 1996 Wimbledon champion, has already left Rosmalen and intends to play at Wim-ble-don.
The women's final here Saturday will be contested by two unseeded players, Dutchwoman Miriam Ore-mans and France's Julie Halard.
EASTBOURNE: Jana Novotna worked for her spot while Arantxa Sanchez Vicario got a free pass to the finals Friday of the Eastbourne grass-court tournament in Eastbourne, England.
Novotna won her quarterfinal 6-4, 7-5 over fifth seed Irina Spirlea of Romania. She then beat Natasha Zvereva of Belarus in the semifinals 6-2, 6-1.
Sanchez Vicario beat Serena Williams in three sets in Friday's quarterfinals. She was to have played Anna Kournikova, but the Russian teenager withdrew to rest a right thumb injured in her quarterfinal victory over Steffi Graf on Thursday.
X-rays taken on the 17-year-old Kournikova were negative, but Kournikova - a 1997 Wimbledon semifinalist - withdrew, as a precaution, from a doubles quarterfinal Thursday and the singles Friday.
Saturday's final between the French Open champion and Novotna is a repeat of last year's Eastbourne championship, which was cut short by rain as the two shared the title.
"I'm going to do everything possible to be ready to play at Wimbledon. I'll be in treatment for 24 hours a day," Kournikova said.