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By NESHA STARCEVIC - Associated Press Writer
MUNICH, Germany (AP) -- Ready to get her game on track and celebrate
her birthday at Oktoberfest, Martina Hingis beat Amelie Mauresmo 7-6 (7-1),
6-2 Wednesday at the $6.7 million Grand Slam Cup.
The world's No. 1 player was competing in her first match since losing
the U.S. Open final to Serena Williams nearly three weeks ago.
``It felt good to have the victory,'' said Hingis, who plans to enjoy
herself at the annual beer festival on her day off Thursday, her 19th birthday.
``I went a little bit down after that (the U.S. Open). I wasn't practicing.''
Hingis, who beat Mauresmo in the final of the Australian Open, assured
herself of earning at least $300,000 in the richest tournament in tennis.
The tournament features the 12 men and eight women with the best records
at the year's four Grand Slam events. The men's winner gets $1.3 million
and the women's champion gets $800,000.
Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, the new item in tennis, arrived from California
on Tuesday. Graf, who retired this summer in a career beset by injuries,
went on to Austria to see her doctor.
In the men's field, Tommy Haas beat Dominik Hrbaty 6-3, 6-2 to set up
a quarterfinal Thursday with top-ranked Agassi. Agassi, the U.S. Open champion,
had a first-round bye.
Haas earned $175,000 awarded to each men's quarterfinalist. Hrbaty got
$100,000 as a first-round loser.
Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador struggled past Fernando Meligeni of Brazil
6-4, 2-6, 16-14. The third set was the longest in the 10 years of the tournament,
which does not use a tiebreaker in the decisive set, and took 1 hour, 47
minutes. It was also the longest set on the tour this year.
Lapentti, a semifinalist at the Australian Open, blew a match point
while serving at 5-4 in the third set.
In the Hingis-Mauresmo match, there were six breaks in the first set,
but Hingis dominated the tiebreaker.
In the second set, Mauresmo dropped serve six times, including a double
fault that gave Hingis a 2-1 lead. She broke back for 2-2 but could not
hold in her next two service games.
A place in the women's semifinals is worth $200,000 and Hingis also
collects $100,000 as bonus for her Australian Open title.
After beating Mauresmo in Melbourne, Hingis caused bad blood by calling
the broad-shouldered Mauresmo ``half a man.'' The two have met three times
since, with Hingis winning twice. Hingis said Wednesday the episode was
history.
Haas beat Agassi in the second round of Wimbledon last year and the
two are tied 1-1.
``If he is in good shape, he'll be very tough to beat,'' Haas said.
``It's an honor to play him. I've looked up to him since I was young.''
Haas thought his best chance was if Graf showed for the match.
``It would be good for me if he couldn't concentrate on the match 100
percent,'' he said. ``I hope she comes tomorrow.''
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