TENNIS WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT AT MANHATTAN BEACH : Po Advances to Quarterfinals

Qualifier Kimberly Po advanced to the quarterfinals of the $350,000 Virginia Slims of Los Angeles tennis tournament Thursday when opponent Ros Fairbank-Nideffer retired with an elbow injury.

Fairbank-Nideffer, of South Africa, retired with Po leading 6-3, 3-0. Po, 20, is planning to quit the women’s tour shortly and return to UCLA for the fall quarter.

In other second-round matches Thursday, fifth-seeded Helena Sukova of Czechoslovakia defeated Jo Durie of England 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 and sixth-seeded Zina Garrison beat Pam Shriver 7-5, 6-2.

Top-seeded Monica Seles was scheduled to face seventh-seeded Amy Frazier in a quarterfinal match Thursday night at the Manhattan Country Club.

Fairbank-Nideffer’s ailment flared up at the beginning of the week and progressively worsened.

“I wasn’t able to serve as well as I needed to,” she said. “It’s frustrating.”

That made Po the only unseeded player to reach the quarterfinals of the tournament.

“I’m stunned, actually,” said Po, who played one year on the tour but said she missed her family and friends. “The players say when someone says they retire, they play real well.”

Po will next play fourth-seeded Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere of Switzerland. Garrison will play second-seeded Martina Navratilova after being tested by the 30-year-old Shriver, who led in the first set, 5-2 before losing 11 of the next 13 games.

“A year ago, I probably would have taken out the water cooler, the flowers and everything else when I was down 5-2,” said the 28-year-old Garrison. “But I’m more relaxed now, more at ease. I’m having fun. I realize I’m emotional and I have to control the ups and downs.”

Sukova let down in the second set but took charge again in the third against Durie. Sukova will play third-seeded Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain in the quarterfinals.