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Hingis hanging on Defending champ advances to German Open semifinals
Posted: Friday May 12, 2000 02:33 PM
BERLIN (AP) -- For the second day in a row, top-ranked Martina Hingis struggled at the German Open. And for the second day in a row, she squeezed through. Hingis, the defending champion, outlasted fifth-seeded Sandrine Testud 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 Friday to reach the semifinals of the $1.08 million clay court tournament. The hard-earned victory brought the Swiss star's winning match streak to 13, leaving her two wins away from her second straight tournament title on clay. Hingis also won last week's event in Hamburg. While Hingis needed all of her skill to oust the tenacious Frenchwoman, third-seeded Conchita Martinez and No. 10 Amanda Coetzer cruised in straight sets. Martinez ousted fellow Spaniard Gala Leon Garcia 6-4, 6-2, dominating the match between two patient baseliners. Martinez will play Hingis in the semifinals. Coetzer beat the eight-seeded German, Anke Huber, 6-4, 6-4. Hingis had never lost to Testud in nine previous matches on the tour. But she came very close Friday. Testud had the chance to serve out the first set at 5-4, but she was broken as Hingis rallied to win three straight games and the set. The second set followed a similar pattern. Testud broke serve for a 5-4 lead and served for the set. Again, she could not hold, although she had Hingis on the defensive most of the game. After making several desperate gets, Hingis hit a brilliant forehand winner that pulled her even at 5-5. But she played sloppy tennis in the next game, netting a forehand on break point and Testud won the set on another Hingis error, a forehand that sailed wide. Once Hingis broke serve again for a 4-2 lead in the third, Testud ran out of steam and the Swiss star quickly closed out the match. By losing to Coetzer, Huber wasted a chance of returning to the Top 10 ranks for the first time in 2 1/2 years. Huber made too many unforced errors to trouble the steady South African. Coetzer had beaten Huber only once in five previous matches, but this was their first showdown on clay. "I didn't play my best game, and if I don't play my best game, I can't beat her on clay," Huber said. After leading 2-1, Coetzer lost the next three games. But she bounced back with her tenacious play from the baseline and rare but effective forays to the net. Coetzer hit two perfect backhands down the line on set point and followed up with a forehand volley winner to take the first set. A break of serve late in the second allowed Coetzer to serve for the match and she won it when Huber hit a return wide. "Maybe she went for too many shots," Coetzer said.
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