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Winning ugly Hingis survives heat to advance at German Open
Posted: Thursday May 11, 2000 01:05 PM
BERLIN (AP) -- Maybe top-seeded Martina Hingis just had the proverbial bad day at the office Thursday in struggling past Silvija Talaja at the German Open. Hingis, the defending champion, reached the quarterfinals of the $1.08 million event and ran her winning streak to 12 matches with a 7-6 (3), 6-3 victory against the 23rd-ranked Croatian. But on a hot summer-like day, Hingis had to fight off two set points while uncharacteristically muffing some easy shots before staying unbeaten since returning from a month-long layoff. "I make a few mistakes, then the other people realize they can play too," said Hingis laughing. "Hopefully, that's the one weak match you have every tournament." Germany's Anke Huber, the eighth seed, also advanced and ran her record to 13-1 on clay this year by beating Spain's Magui Serna, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-4. But the former Australian Open finalist, on the comeback trail, needed two hours and 10 minutes before Serna tore a string on her racket while swinging to set up Huber's third and final match point. "I could have made it a lot easier on myself," said Huber, who rolled to a 5-0 first set lead. "But I love to win close matches -- that's how you build self-confidence." Huber's only loss came last week to Hingis as the Swiss player won the Betty Barclay Cup and reclaimed the No. 1 ranking from American rival Lindsay Davenport. South Africa's Amanda Coetzer, seeded 10th, added to the long list of upset victims at the event by knocking out fourth-seeded Julie Halard-Decugis of France, 6-2, 6-2. On Wednesday, five seeds were beaten. Sandrine Testud, the fifth-seeded Frenchwoman, did advance into a quarterfinal meeting with Hingis after bating Czech player Denisa Chlakova, 7-6 (0), 6-2. Spain's Conchita Martinez, the No. 3, ousted Argentina's Paola Suarez, 6-4, 6-3. South Africa's Joannette Kruger also stopped the run of 17-year-old Bianka Lamade, 6-0, 6-3, after the German teenager had beaten two top-60 players while playng in the main draw of a WTA event for the first time. Hingis fought off two points while trailing 5-6 in a 57-minute first set as Talaja kept her off-balance by alternating hard and soft shots. But in the tiebeak, Hingis stopped making errors against the Croatian, who had picked up her first tour title earlier this year at the Gold Coast in Australia. "I concentrated myself fully," said the Swiss player. "I didn't want to play two more long sets -- it was pretty hot out there." Hingis, tuning her game on clay for the French Open starting in two weeks, has an easier route to her fourth title this year after Wednesday's rash of upsets. Beaten in their second round matches were No. 2 seed Nathalie Tauziat of France, No. 6 Sanchez-Vicario, No. 7 Kournikova, No. 9 Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo and No. 14 Sabine Appelmans of Belgum. Spain's Gala Leon Garcia, who ousted Kournikova, also advanced by ousting Chanda Rubin of the United States, 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3.
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