Tennis: Hingis beats Seles to reach semis
Wednesday, 6 September 2000 07:22World number one Martina Hingis beat Monica Seles for the sixth time in a row to reach the US Open semi-finals, setting up a last-four showdown with Venus Williams. The 19-year-old Swiss top seed defeated Seles 6-0 7-5 while 20-year-old Wimbledon champion Williams struggled past eighth seed Nathalie Tauziat 6-4 1-6 6-1 to seal their third Flushing Meadows match-up in four years.
Hingis is 9-6 against Williams, including US Open triumphs in the 1997 final and 1999 semi-finals. But Williams won their most recent encounter in July at the Wimbledon quarter-finals. "I would like to turn it around," Hingis said. "The last time I was playing very well again and this time I hope it's going to be a different story." Hingis, seeking her first Slam title since last year's Australian Open, is out to halt Venus' four-tournament win streak and ruin the chances for the all-Williams final. "I look forward to playing her again and hopefully breaking her streak," Hingis said. "I must not get too intimidated by what she's doing or her winning streak. I've got just to hang in there, play my game and not let her overpower me."
Williams bottomed out, literally and figuratively, against Tauziat by making 31 unforced errors on the court and an embarrassing one off it, landing on her rear after missing her chair as she went to sit during a last-set change-over. "I really missed," Williams said. "I was just angry and I couldn't see." "I couldn't stop laughing," Tauziat added, "it was funny." Williams had the last laugh, however, and then warned Hingis: "I always play better when it comes to the big matches."
Defending champion Serena Williams faces Olympic team mate Lindsay Davenport in today's quarter-final. The winner meets either 18-year-old Russian Elena Dementieva or German 10th seed Anke Huber in the other semi-final. "Lindsay has a good shot against Serena," Hingis said. "Lindsay can be a very dangerous player for Serena." (PA)
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
