BRIEFLY : SANCHEZ VICARIO IN FINAL.

Warming up for the U.S. Open, which starts Monday in New York City:

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario of Spain rebounded for a 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic on Saturday in the semifinals of the $450,000 Toshiba Tennis Classic in Carlsbad.

Sanchez Vicario today will face Kimiko Date of Japan, a 6-2, 7-5 winner over Conchita Martinez of Spain.

Fifth-seeded Andrei Medvedev of Ukraine and unseeded Martin Damm of Czech Republic won semifinal matches to advance to the final of the Hamlet Cup tennis tournament in Commack, N.Y.

Medvedev defeated Karol Kucera of Slovakia 7-6 (7-0), 6-3. Damm rallied to overcome Adrian Voinea of Romania 5-7, 7-5, 7-5.

Unseeded Australian Todd Woodbridge defeated an uninterested Marcelo Rios 6-0, 6-3 to reach the final of the $2 million du Maurier Open in Toronto. No. 3 Wayne Ferreira of South Africa beat No. 7 Todd Martin 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the other semifinal.

Seventh-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia withdrew from the U.S. Open with a rib injury.

BOXING

Danny Romero, a flamboyant, hard-punching bantamweight, captured the IBF title in his hometown of Albuquerque, N.M., by knocking out two-time champion Harold Grey of Colombia, 1:25 into the second round.

GOLF

To win the World Series of Golf, all Phil Mickelson has to do is hold off one of his best friends and the world's top-ranked player. Mickelson completed a 4-under-par 66 in the suspended second round, then added a 68 to build a three-stroke lead over Billy Mayfair and Greg Norman at Firestone Country Club at Akron, Ohio.

Laura Davies pulled away from the rest of the field at the Star Bank LPGA Classic in Dayton, Ohio, putting herself in position to earn a $100,000 bonus. Davies shot a 6-under-par 66 and was at 134 for 36 holes, three strokes ahead of Brandie Burton and Beth Daniel.

Liselotte Neumann struggled to a 72 and Joanne Morley cut the Swedish star's lead to one stroke in the third round of the Trygg Hansa Open at Haninge, Sweden.

Ian Woosnam of Wales, seeking his fourth season title, threatened to turn the $1 million German Open into a runaway by taking a six-stroke lead after three rounds in Stuttgart.

Tom Wargo shot a 5-under-par 67 to take a one-stroke lead over Raymond Floyd through two rounds of the $800,000 Bank of Boston Senior Classic in Concord, Mass.

MOTOR SPORTS

Fill-in driver Mike Park was the surprise pole winner at Watkins Glen International, but there's a good possibility he won't start today's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Parts America 150 race in Watkins Glen, N.Y.

Park, retained to shake down a Chevrolet for NASCAR Winston Cup Series veteran Joe Nemechek, did better than that, lapping the 2.45-mile road course at 115.379 mph. Nemechek, at Bristol, Tenn. for Saturday night's NASCAR Winston Cup Series Goody's 500.

Juha Kankkunen of Finland opened his favorite event, the ``1000 Lakes Rally'' by winning the first seven special stages.

ETC.

Simon Lessing of Britain and Jackie Gallagher of Australia won the men's and women's divisions of the eighth annual International Triathlon Union World Championships in Cleveland. . . .

Brian Maisonneuve and Brian McBride scored in the first five minutes and the host Columbus Crew went on to its fifth straight MLS victory, 2-1 over the Kansas City Wiz.