Hingis, the top seed, moved within one match win of reclaiming the No. 1 ranking from Lindsay Davenport by rallying for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over the sixth-seeded Kournikova. The Swiss teenager improved to 8-1 lifetime against her Russian counterpart.

Williams, the defending champion, saw her first event of 2000 end prematurely as eighth seed Amanda Coetzer of South Africa stunned the American teenager, 6-3, 6-4.

Hingis' only obstacle to reclaiming the top spot will be seventh seed Anke Huber, who became the first German to reach the semifinals of this event since 1995 by eliminating third seed and 1995 champion Conchita Martinez of Spain, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-4), 6-2.

Hingis, the 1998 champion, lost her No. 1 ranking to Davenport five weeks ago at the Ericsson Open in Miami. She could pick up 85 points by beating Huber to give her 6086 points, 13 better than the idle Davenport, when the new WTA rankings are released Monday.

Williams, seeded second, had been on the sidelines for six months due to tendinitis in both wrists before winning her first match of the season on Thursday. But she was stymied today by Coetzer, who avenged a quarterfinal loss to Williams here last year.

"Amanda played a great match today and she didn't make any unforced errors, while I was too impatient," Williams said. "It was just the first tournament back from injury for me, and I have a ways to go yet before I get back to full match fitness."

Playing in her second semifinal of the year, Coetzer will battle three-time champion Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain in the other semifinal encounter.

Making a record 12th appearance at this event, Sanchez-Vicario defeated Andrea Glass of Germany, 6-3, 6-3. Seeded fourth, Sanchez-Vicario won this event in 1993-94 and 1996.

First prize is $87,000.