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TORONTO (TICKER) -- Martina Hingis looked impressive for the second straight
match, and four-time defending champion Monica Seles struggled for the
second straight time as both earned quarterfinal berths today at the du
Maurier Open tennis event.
The top seed and world No. 1, Hingis needed just over an hour to dump
No. 16 Chanda Rubin of the United States, 6-3, 6-1. After needing three
sets to win her second-round match, Seles barely won a first-set tiebreak
before getting past No. 15 Elena Likhovtseva of Russia, 7-6 (9-7), 6-3.
Third seed Mary Pierce of France and two-time champion Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario
of Spain also secured quarterfinal berths.
Pierce advanced to her third career quarterfinal at this event by beating
1997 finalist Anke Huber of Germany, 6-2, 7-5. Seeded fifth, Sanchez-Vicario
downed fellow Spaniard and 12th seed Conchita Martinez, 7-6 (8-6), 6-1,
and will face Hingis in Friday's quarterfinals.
Two other Frenchwomen joined Pierce in the round of eight. No. 10 Sandrine
Testud will meet Pierce in the quarters after downing Silvija Talaja of
Croatia, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7). Unseeded Anne-Gaelle Sidot disposed of Japan's
Ai Sugiyama, 6-4, 6-3.
Tonight, sixth seed and 1995 runner-up Amanda Coetzer of South Africa
meets Croatian teenager Mirjana Lucic, and ninth seed Barbara Schett of
Austria plays 1991 champion Jennifer Capriati of the United States.
Two top-10 players exited the tournament on Wednesday as American teenager
Serena Williams pulled out with a right shoulder strain and Jana Novotna
of the Czech Republic lost to Sugiyama.
First prize at the $1.05 million event is $150,000.
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