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LOS ANGELES (TICKER) -- Less than a week after switching positions atop
the WTA rankings, American Lindsay Davenport and Switzerland's Martina
Hingis could set up a showdown in Sunday's final with victories today at
the $520,000 Acura Classic.
The top seed and defending champion, Davenport takes on unseeded Julie
Halard-Decugis of France in the first semifinal. Last year's runner-up,
Hingis goes against sixth-seeded American teenager Serena Williams tonight.
Davenport reached her fourth straight semifinal on Friday night when
she rallied past 1995 champion Conchita Martinez of Spain, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3,
6-2.
Davenport has compiled an impressive 20-2 record in her last 22 matches
in her native California. The losses came to sisters Venus and Serena Williams,
with Venus bouncing Davenport from the semifinals at last week's TIG Tennis
Classic in San Diego. Davenport's loss allowed Hingis to reclaim the No.
1 ranking.
The Wimbledon champion, Davenport has won 37 of 44 matches in 1999 and
has dropped only four of 26 hardcourt matches this season. She will defend
her U.S. Open singles title later this month.
Halard-Decugis has provided one of the great comeback stories of the
year in tennis by reaching four finals and winning two titles. She did
not compete for over a year due to wrist and knee injuries before returning
to action in January, 1998.
On Friday, Halard-Decugis upended third-seeded countrywoman Mary Pierce
to advance to her second semifinal at this event. She also was a semifinalist
in 1994.
Davenport has won five of six meetings with Halard-Decugis, with the
American taking both previous meetings on hard courts.
Like Davenport, Hingis needed three sets to get past seventh seed Barbara
Schett of Austria on Friday. A loser to Davenport at this event the last
two years, Hingis is 49-7 with five titles in 1999, including 26-4 on hardcourts.
Serena Williams became the first player to secure a semifinal berth
with a 6-2, 6-3 win over fourth seed Arantxa
Sanchez-Vicario of Spain on Thursday. Currently ranked No. 11 in the
world, Serena Williams has won two titles in 1999 and
lost to older sister Venus in the final of the Lipton Championships.
Hingis is 3-1 lifetime against Serena Williams, including a 6-4, 6-1
quarterfinal win here last year.
First prize is $80,000.
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