Hingis was not at the top of her game, but the top seed from Switzerland managed to get past Ruxandra Dragomir of Romania, 6-3, 0-6, 6-1, as she vies for her first title at Roland Garros.

A former top-10 player, Rubin advanced to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros for the second time in her career by defeating 1988 finalist Natasha Zvereva of Belarus, 6-4, 7-5.

Playing in only her third tournament of the season, fourth seed Venus Williams of the United States advanced to the quarterfinals here for the second time in three years with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 win over No. 11 Anke Huber of Germany.

Williams was sidelined for six months with tendinitis in both wrists, but has not dropped a set en route to the quarters.

Two former French Open champions will seek quarterfinal berths on the men's side. Fourth seed Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, the 1996 champon, meets Fernando Vicente of Spain, and fifth seed Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil, the 1997 winner, encounters No. 11 Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador.

No. 10 Alex Corretja and 16th-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero set up an all-Spanish quarterfinal clash earlier today.

Corretja, the 1998 runner-up, dispatched Roger Federer of Switzerland, 7-5, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2. The 20-year-old Ferrero reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal by beating hard-serving Australian Mark Philippoussis, 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Philippoussis ousted American Pete Sampras in the first round.

Starting her match in the morning for the third time in the tournament, Hingis was apparently bothered by the cool conditions on the court. After winning the first set, Hingis fell behind early in the second and was resigned to the fact that the match would go the distance.

"I wasn't nervous about losing the second set, 6-0, because I just wanted to get that set over with," Hingis said. "I was down, 3-0, 4-0, there was no way at this tournament I was going to be able to come back. You also don't have to because you know it's another set coming up. I just knew I had to want it and play a different game."

Hingis did just that as she stormed through the final set in 28 minutes. Afterwards, she expressed her displeasure in having her matches scheduled in the morning.

"Three times already at this tournament I've had to play the early match," Hingis said. "I'm not going to go out there if they put me on first again and it's not sunny. I'm freezing out there. In the (United) States and Australia we play when it's hot and thn we come to Europe and it's freezing cold. I'm not used to it. My back gets tight."

Rubin is competing in her seventh French Open, also reaching the quarterfinals in 1995. She upset seventh seed Nathalie Tauziat in the third round and is confident heading into her quarterfinal showdown with Hingis, having beaten her at Indian Wells, California last year.

"I'm preparing for a battle because she's going to be fighting," said Rubin on her upcoming quarterfinal clash. "Any pressure is going to be on her. If I can get on top of her, I feel like it definitely will rattle her a bit."

Three-time champion Monica Seles, seeded third, will attempt to make it a trio of American women in the quarterfinals. Having lost only eight games in her first three matches, Seles could have a tough time with No. 13 Amelie Mauresmo of France, who also has not lost a set in the tournament.

Spaniards Conchita Martinez and three-time champion Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario battled back from first-set deficits to reach the quarterfinals.

Martinez, seeded fifth, fought off Ai Sugiyama of Japan, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, and Sanchez-Vicario, seeded eighth, rallied past No. 16 Barbara Schett of Austria, 0-6, 6-4, 6-2, to advance to her 10th straight quarterfinal at Roland Garros.

Meanwhile, sixth seed Mary Pierce of France continued to storm through the draw as she dumped Asa Carlsson of Sweden, 6-2, 6-1. Pierce, who has lost 13 games in four matches, will be appearing in the French Open quarters for the first time since reaching the final in 1994.

Also, Rossana De Los Rios of Paraguay meets Marta Marrero of Spain in a battle of qualifiers.

Still alive in doubles, Martina Navratilova saw her run in mixed doubles come to an end, ironically against her doubles partner, Mariaan de Swardt.

Playing at the French Open for the first time since 1994, the 43-year-old Navratilova teamed with Dutchman Jan Siemerink and lost to de Swardt and fellow South African David Adams, 6-3, 6-3, in a second-round encounter.

Navratilova and de Swardt will face the sixth-seeded French duo of Alexandra Fusai and Nathalie Tauziat in the third round.