| TOKYO, Japan -- World No. 1 Martina Hingis earned a chance
to defend her Pan Pacific Open single's title as she beat a stiff challenge
from American Chanda Rubin to post a 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 semifinal win on Saturday.
No. 1 seed Hingis was forced to go a first set tiebreaker after No.
7 seed Rubin fought off three set points at 5-4.
The two players played a first set that was marked by crisp rallies
and powerful service games. Each was able to win points by pushing their
foe wide on the backhand side and then storming the net.
In the tiebreaker, Rubin dropped four consecutive points on her serve.
After exchanging service break early in the second set, Hingis turned
up the pressure on Rubin as she fired two aces to win serve in the sixth
game and easily broke the American in the following.
Hingis never looked back.
In the other semifinal match, French sixth seed Sandrine Testud will
face unseeded Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia.
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