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Surviving Hingis struggles, advances to quarters
Posted: Monday June 05, 2000 07:20 PM
PARIS (AP) -- Martina Hingis conceded a set and survived a scare Sunday in the fourth round at the French Open, losing seven consecutive games before she rallied to beat Ruxandra Dragomir 6-3, 0-6, 6-1. The top-seeded Hingis admitted that she gave up hope of winning the second set after falling behind. "I knew, you know, just get that set over with," she said. "I was down 3-0, 4-0. It's like no way at this tournament you're going to come back." Hingis won the final six games and advanced to the quarterfinals against unseeded American Chanda Rubin, who beat Natasha Zvereva 6-4, 7-5. Rubin also reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in 1995. "This next week is going to be kind of another level," Rubin said. "I'm going to see how well I'm able to do that." Two other American women, No. 3 Monica Seles and No. 4 Venus Williams, also advanced. Seles overpowered No. 13 Amelie Mauresmo of France 7-5, 6-3, and Williams eliminated No. 11 Anke Huber 7-6 (7-4), 6-2. Williams' opponent in the quarterfinals will be No. 8 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, a three-time champion, who overcame a slow start to beat No. 16 Barbara Schett 0-6, 6-4, 6-2. Marta Marrero of Spain, a 17-year-old qualifier, beat qualifier Rossana De Los Rios 4-6, 6-0, 6-4. No. 5 Conchita Martinez rallied past Ai Sugiyama 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. No. 6 Mary Pierce, who faces Seles next, swept Asa Carlsson 6-2, 6-1. In men's play, No. 4 Yevgeny Kafelnikov survived his third five-setter of the week, beating Fernando Vicente 5-7, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (4), 8-6. Two Spaniards advanced in men's play. No. 10-seeded Alex Corretja swept Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2, and No. 16 Juan Carlos Ferrero beat Mark Philippoussis 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. In a battle of South Americans, No. 5 Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil needed 2 1/2 hours to beat No. 11 Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). Hingis played the morning match on Court Suzanne Lenglen in cloudy, 65-degree weather. "I'm going to play in pants next time," said Hingis, who grew up in Switzerland. "I'm freezing out there. My body's not used to it anymore." Hingis appeared in control of her match but then began to unravel in the second set, struggling mostly with an erratic forehand. She lost her serve five times in the first two sets and fell behind 1-0 in the third. But then Hingis reversed the momentum, putting pressure on Dragomir with her full arsenal of shots - a pinpoint lob, a swinging volley, drop shots and putaways at the net. Reacting quickly to a drop shot by Dragomir, Hingis sprinted to the ball and with a satisfied "ugh!" swatted it crosscourt for a winner and a 4-1 lead. French fans cheered, but Hingis' relationship with them remains strained. They hooted and whistled several times when she pointed at ball marks on disputed calls, and again when she delayed play to change rackets in the middle of a game. "I don't know if they have something against her or they don't really like her, or maybe they like me more," said Dragomir, a Romanian. "Maybe it's not nice very nice for Hingis when they do this every single match she's playing. But for me, I think it was good." Despite the razzing and inconsistent play, Hingis moved one step closer to the only Grand Slam title she hasn't won. "I played terrible some points in the second set," Hingis said. "But I knew if I do the things I have to do, it's going to be fine."
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