BUILT FOR SWINGING SUCCESS : A FIT DAVENPORT NEARS GRAF MATCH.

Byline: Joe Jares Daily News Staff Writer

Through hard training, Lindsay Davenport of Newport Beach has transformed herself from a 6-foot-2, bulky teen-ager into a 20-year-old woman with a discernible waistline and the ability to chase down a tennis ball or two.

Davenport used to be a bit overstuffed, and a mean London newspaper ran a photograph of her next to one of distinctly unsvelte rock singer Meat Loaf. About 20 pounds lighter than those days, Davenport is now a fit giant.

Her fitness, plus her excellent ground strokes, helped her to become No. 10 in the world and the Olympic champion in Atlanta.

And Thursday they helped her beat friend and former roommate Natasha Zvereva of Belarus 7-5, 6-2 in the third round of the $450,000 Acura Classic in Manhattan Beach.

One more win and Davenport will be in the Saturday semifinals against world No. 1 Steffi Graf, who missed the Olympics because of injury. In an evening match, Graf became the first into the semifinals by beating Amy Frazier of Michigan 6-3, 6-2.

The legendary Billie Jean King was on hand for the Davenport match and afterward raved about her court sense and sharp strokes. High praise from a champion who had plenty of both.

For all Davenport's success, though, it appears that she must work to overcome a bevy of what basketball coach Pat Riley calls ``peripheral opponents.''

For example, Davenport played well only in spurts against Zvereva. After giving polite credit to Zvereva's strong first serve and tricky spin shots, the gold-medal winner attributed her so-so performance to:

The fast hardcourts at the Manhattan Country Club. ``Most of the time I prefer slower courts,'' she said, ``so I have time to set up for the ball and hit the ball the way I like.''

The backdrop when Zvereva tossed up the ball to serve. Davenport said she sometimes lost sight of the ball against the white clothing of the spectators. (But Lindsay, the balls are yellow.)

The difficulty of playing against friends. ``I seem to get ahead, then not play very well, and they get ahead. Then I play better again.''

The difficulty of playing in front of friends. Davenport grew up in the South Bay and has all sorts of family and old pals watching her in the Acura Classic. ``I think I'm trying a bit too hard to do well here,'' she said. ``It's just not working yet. I've got to really relax, be a little easier on myself here.''

To beat these peripheral opponents, the good-natured, unwhiny Davenport needs to develop the tough mind set of Riley - or in her own sport, Graf or Chris Evert. Friends, backdrop, spin, fast court, slow court, the phase of the moon - Graf or Evert would most often kick an opponent's fanny anyway.

Helping her with this, as well as the technical parts of her game, is Robert Van't Hof, the 1980 NCAA champion for USC who goads his pupil to stay trim, travels with her and helped her overcome a bad case of pre-Olympics nerves.

``He's really helped my game a lot this year in tournaments,'' Davenport said. ``It's great to be able to talk to someone . . . and be very frank. I can tell him what I'm really feeling.''

So if Van't Hof can help her give the peripherals a pasting, that will leave only Amanda Coetzer of South Africa, the No. 5 seed, between her and the semifinal match against Graf.

Coetzer had little trouble Thursday disposing of Shi-Ting Wang of Taipei 6-4, 6-2.

Davenport will play Coetzer in the 7 p.m. feature match today.

In other Thursday matches, sixth-seeded Irina Spirlea of Romania beat Ai Sugiyama of Japan 6-4, 6-2; No. 7 Karina Habsudova of Slovakia beat Kimberly Po of the United States (and UCLA) 6-2, 6-3; No. 3 Kimiko Date of Japan beat Sandrine Testud of France 1-6, 6-3, 7-5, and No. 2 Anke Huber of Germany beat Florencia Labat of Argentina 6-1, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2. Form prevailed right down the line - the eight top seeds are the eight in the quarterfinals.

ACURA CLASSIC

Today on Center Court

11:30 a.m.: Irina Spirlea, Romania, vs. Anke Huber, Germany.

followed by: Karina Habsudova, Slovakia, vs. Kimiko Date, Japan.

7 p.m.: Lindsay Davenport, United States, vs. Amanda Coetzer, South Africa.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

Photo: Anke Huber advanced in the Acura Classic with a third-round win over Florencia Labat in Manhattan Beach.

Associated Press

Box: Acura Classic (see text)