BRIEFLY: KWAN TRAILS SLUTSKAYA.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

The expected duel between Irina Slutskaya and Michelle Kwan at the International Skating Union Grand Prix finals in Tokyo turned one-sided Friday, in favor of the Russian.

Performing a more difficult jump combination, Slutskaya was favored by six judges to one for Kwan in the women's short program as both skated cleanly for the eight required elements.

Slutskaya skated last in the field of six after Kwan led off. Slutskaya's double loop jump after a triple lutz was more difficult than Kwan's double toe loop.

The overall winner will be decided today during the free skating.

Slutskaya has beaten Kwan twice this season. Whoever wins here will have the edge heading into next month's World Championships at Vancouver.

In the men's event, three-time world champion Alexei Yagudin of Russia shook off the effects of a twisted ankle and jet lag to take the lead. Third was American Matt Savoie.

TENNIS: Venus Williams reached the semifinals of the $565,000 Terazura Open in Nice, France, with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) victory over fellow American Meilen Tu of the San Fernando Valley. Williams will play unseeded Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria in today's semis.

--Top-seeded Martina Hingis breezed into the semifinals of the Qatar Open with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Joannette Kruger. Hingis next faces Barbara Schett.

--Max Mirnyi, who upset top-seed Magnus Norman a day earlier, moved into the semifinals of the Marseille Open in France with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Julien Boutter. Mirnyi meets Sebastien Grosjean in today's semi. Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Roger Federer meet in the other.

FOOTBALL: Pro Bowl wide receiver Eric Moulds, who set a franchise record for receptions last season with 94, re-signed with the Buffalo Bills for a reported six-year deal worth as much as $45 million.

--Eric Price, the quarterbacks coach at Washington State under his father, Mike Price, was hired by New York Jets offensive coordinator Paul Hackett to join the NFL staff.

--Fred Pagac, former assistant head coach at Ohio State, has joined the Oakland Raiders as linebackers coach.

--Jim Zorn, the Seattle Seahawks' first starting quarterback, has been appointed the team's new quarterback coach.

MOTOR SPORTS: Mike Dunn led Top Fuel qualifying in the NHRA's Checker Schuck's Kragen Nationals in Chandler, Ariz., with a quarter-mile run of 4.521 seconds at a top speed of 328.22 mph.

Whit Bazemore topped the Funny Car field and Mike Edwards led the Pro Stock division in the $1.8 million competition at Firebird International Raceway.

BASKETBALL: Former NBA star Robert Parish agreed to coach the USBL's expansion Maryland Mustangs.

HORSE RACING: Irisheyesareflying beat Futural by two lengths in the $75,904 feature race at Santa Anita.

--Zippy Chippy, the 10-year-old gelding who never won a race, dropped to 0 for 89 when he finished last in a seven-horse race at Penn National.

BOXING: Erik Morales is a 9-1 favorite to take the WBC featherweight title away from Guty Espadas when the two square off in a 12-round bout at the MGM Grand tonight in Las Vegas.

Last April, Espadas ascended to the throne by defeating Luisito Espinosa with a 11th-round technical decision in Merida, Mexico. The title had become vacant when Naseem Hamed gave up his belt.