Goolagong, Casals Set for Showdown In Va. Slims' Semis

Evonne Goolagong continued her smooth-as-silk routine last night as she easily served and vollied her way into the semifinals of the Virginia Slims Tournament, downing Kerry Reid 6-3, 6-2, at B.U.'s Walter Brown Arena.

Goolagong consistently exploited Reid's backhand en route to her straight sets victory, and will face Rosemary Casals in Saturday's semifinal encounter.

Casals outdistanced Australia's Lesley Hunt, 6-4, 6-4, in other quarterfinals play last night. Casals's aggressive play dominated the tempo of the match as she took control of the net game in the opening set.

So It Goes

"I was careless a lot of times," Hunt said. "I had a lot of opportunities to break but I was lobbing poorly and that's the way it goes."

Casals played Goolagong well on this year's Slims circuit and is confident of her chances against the favored Aussie. "I can beat Evonne if I get ahead of her early in the first set," Casals said.

In quarterfinals doubles action, the number three seeded team of Billie Jean King and Betty Stove recovered from a second set scare to fend off Regina Marsikova and Wendy Turnbull, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.

"Tonight was really tough on us," King said. "They really got fired up in that second set."

More quarterfinals action will get under way tonight with both Virginia Wade and Dianne Fromholtz favored to go on to meet in the semifinals on Saturday.