TOKYO Monica Seles beat Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario for the Toyota Princess Cup title for the third consecutive year Sunday, again using her firepower to overcome the Spaniard's speed and wiles. Seles' 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory in the 2-hour, 17-minute match left Sanchez-Vicario with four straight losses in the Toyota finals after she had won the tournament in 1994. She lost to Mary Pierce in 1995.

Sanchez-Vicario came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the first set, and threatened to rebound from 3-1 and 5-3 gaps in the third. But at 30-all in the final game, Seles produced two good serves one drawing a miss from Sanchez-Vicario and the other setting up a vicious forehand crosscourt winner. Seles, seeded second here behind the French Open champion, saved two break points in the second game which she closed out with two aces and two more in the fourth on her way to winning the final set and the 43rd singles title of her career.

This one was worth $79,000. The loser received $36,000. It was an extremely hard-fought match,'' said Seles, ranked no. 6 by the WTA. In the third set, I was lucky with shots and had chances to put the match away, but Arantxa came back. The first and second sets were the same they could have gone either way.'' Seles that in her four matches during the week, I played better with each game, although it was difficult to adjust to the changing conditions with the roof open and closed.'' (AP)