Graf Easily Disposes of Sloane, 6-0, 6-1, to Advance to Quarterfinals in Florida

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Steffi Graf, the world’s top-ranked woman tennis player, beat Susan Sloane, 6-0, 6-1, Wednesday night to reach the quarterfinals of the $300,000 Virginia Slims of Florida.

Graf won the first nine games and breezed through the third-round match in 53 minutes. The victory gave the 19-year-old West German her 19th straight win without dropping a set this year.

Graf, hitting sharply against the 12th-seeded Sloane, has a 167-5 record since reaching the No. 1 ranking in 1987.

Unseeded Terry Phelps upset ninth-seeded Sandra Cecchini of Italy, 6-1, 6-2, in 66 minutes. Phelps will face second-seeded Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina, the tournament’s defending champion, in a third-round match today .

Others advancing to the third round included Peanut Louie Harper of San Francisco, Jana Novotna of Czechoslovakia and qualifier Rene Simpson of Canada.

Harper eliminated 11th-seeded Nicole Provis of Australia, 2-6, 6-1, 6-1; Novotna ousted Nathalie Tauziat of France, seeded 14th, 6-4, 6-4.

Simpson, a left-hander and Texas Christian University graduate, beat Jenny Byrne of Australia, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. Byrne, a runner-up to Manuela Maleeva of Bulgaria last week at Indian Wells, lost service at 15 in the last game.