SHE'S MAGIC: SELES TURNS BACK SERENA VICTORY SETS UP SEMIFINAL MATCH WITH HINGIS.

Byline: Joe Stevens Staff Writer

MANHATTAN BEACH - Monica Seles could be into sorcery. On Friday, she seemed to channel a different Seles from, say 1993, and looked once again like the world's top player.

Seles warded off six match points to oust two-time defending champ Serena Williams 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2) in the estyle.com Classic quarterfinals at Manhattan Country Club.

``I don't think there's a formula,'' Seles said, trying to explain surviving the match points. ``At that stage of the match, you feel a little bid mad at yourself for letting it slip away. But Serena's that way too. She'll go for balls a lot of players won't try for. But that's what makes the game fun. These are the matches I enjoy at this point of my career.''

Although Williams' opportunities were plentiful, her effort to win her 13th consecutive match in Manhattan Beach went barren. She had a 5-3 lead with the serve and was ahead 40-0 in that game. Seles denied her three times, which included a double fault on Williams' third try.

Seles displayed more magic when Williams led 6-5. This time, Seles was serving and was down 0-40. The left-hander had two service winners and coaxed a Williams backhand into the net.

``I definitely should have closed it a couple of times,'' Williams said. ``I had chances on all of the points. I guess you could say I got a little tight.''

The 1-hour, 55-minute match not only saw Seles return to her top game, it transformed the Manhattan Beach crowd. Typically a staid group which makes its most noise from unattended cellular phones, the fans were as bombastic as No. 4 Williams and No. 6 Seles were steady.

``It was almost like a New York crowd,'' Williams said.

Williams' serve also was bombastic. She blasted 15 aces.

However, double faults haunted her. She finished with 11 to Seles' three. Seles seemed to surprise a lot of spectators - and herself.

``It's been surprising how well it's been, coming back,'' said Seles, who missed Wimbledon and the French Open with an injured foot. ``It's great to know all the hard work pays off.''

In today's semifinals, No. 2 Lindsay Davenport will play No. 5 Nathalie Tauziat at noon, and No. 1 Martina Hingis will meet Seles at 6 p.m.

Davenport had the toughest time advancing and beat No. 7 Elena Dementieva 5-7, 6-4, 6-2. Davenport was visibly frustrated against the 5- foot-11 Russian. Several times in the third set she threw her racket to the ground and missed many shots ugly - by a few feet.

``Mentally, I don't think I'm that fresh or that strong,'' Davenport said. ``I don't think I was on top of my game.''

The first signs of Davenport's problems came in the first set. She didn't convert two set points with a 5-3 lead. Then at 5-4, Dementieva broke Davenport. The 19-year-old then broke Davenport again to win 7-5.

Davenport reversed her fortune by breaking serve to go up 4-3 in the second set. She held serve until she won that set. In the third, she took control after a marathon-long third game with seven deuces. Davenport eventually broke Dementieva to take a 2-1 lead, but the Russian had many opportunities to take the lead and maybe change the momentum.

``This was just one of days I got through and maybe I shouldn't have,'' Davenport said.

In a modest upset, No. 5 Tauziat eliminated No. 3 Kim Clijsters with ease 6-4, 6-2. The 33-year-old Tauziat controlled the match and broke Clijsters five times. Clijsters' serve was her own worst enemy as she double faulted nine times and only won one game while serving.

``They know they have to serve well,'' Tauziat said of her opponents. ``They know they're going to have place it well because they're going to be under pressure.''

Hingis took care of No. 12 Amy Frazier 6-2, 6-3. Frazier's best chance to change the match's tenor came with it tied 3-3 in the second set. The two played a lengthy game with seven deuces, in which Hingis eventually won. She earned her advantage in the game when Frazier hustled for a lob shot and fell into the net.

ESTYLE.COM CLASSIC SCHEDULE

Today's play at Manhattan Country Club:

Day session, at noon

--No. 5 Nathalie Tauziat vs. No. 2 Lindsay Davenport

--Kim Po-Messerli/Nathalie Tauziat vs. Els Callens/Chanda Rubin or No. 2 Cara Black/Elena Likhovtseva

Night session, at 6 p.m.

--No. 1 Martina Hingis vs. No. 6 Monica Seles

--Nicole Arendt/Caroline Vis vs. Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario/Barbara Schett

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

A determined Monica Seles returns a shot during her match Friday night with Serena Williams at Manhattan Country Club. Seles scored a 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2) victory to set up tonight's semifinal against top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Martina Hingis.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

Box: ESTYLE.COM CLASSIC SCHEDULE (see text)