| LOS ANGELES (TICKER) -- One week after suffering a stunning
loss to Amy Frazier last week in San Diego, top-ranked Martina Hingis made
sure it didn't happen again in the rematch.
Hingis avenged last week's loss in convincing fashion, needing only
57 minutes to dispose of Frazier, 6-2, 6-1, in today's quarterfinal action
at the $535,000 estyle.com Classic.
Seeking her fifth singles title of the season, Hingis will meet defending
champion Serena Williams in a semifinal showdown on Saturday. It is their
first meeting since Williams defeated Hingis in last year's U.S. Open final.
Second seed Lindsay Davenport moved one step closer to her first title
in four months when the California native breezed past eighth seed Sandrine
Testud of France, 6-4, 6-2 tonight.
Davenport clearly has the easier semifinal draw as she will face unseeded
Russian teenager Elena Dementieva. The 18-year-old Dementieva, advanced
to her second hardcourt semifinal of the season earlier today as she rallied
past American Lisa Raymond, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Davenport, a two-time champion here, struggled past Anne-Gaelle Sidot
of France in three sets to secure a quartefinal berth. Dementieva also
reached the semifinals at Indian Wells, California in March, which Davenport
won.
Ranked No. 2 in the world behind Hingis, Davenport is seeking her third
title of the season and first since early April. Both of her tournament
wins have come on hard courts, including the Australian Open in January.
Davenport won this event in 1996 and 1998 and was a semifinalist last
year. She improved to 9-2 all-time against Testud, who also needed three
sets to advance to the quarterfinals.
Williams, seeded fifth, moved into the semis on Thursday night with
a three-set win over fourth seed and former champion Conchita Martinez
of Spain.
First prize is $87,000.
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