In today's semifinals, Hingis and Seles take on 19-year-old Russians Anna Kournikova and Elena Dementieva, respectively. Afterwards, Hingis will team with Kournikova for the doubles final against American Nicole Arendt and Manon Bollegraf of the Netherlands.

The top-seeded Hingis got past No. 6 Nathalie Tauziat of France, 6-1, 6-7 (2-7), 6-2, Thursday. Win or lose today, she will finish the season as No. 1 for the third time in her career.

Hingis did not win a Grand Slam title this season for the first time since 1996. In fact, she reached just one Grand Slam final -- the Australian Open in January.

Although she has not won a major this year, the 20-year-old from Switzerland has appeared in 13 singles finals and won a tour-high eight titles.

Hingis has played in the final of the WTA Tour's season-ending tournament three times, including the last two years. She won in 1998, but lost to Lindsay Davenport last season.

Kournikova trounced fourth-seeded Conchita Martinez of Spain, 6-4, 6-0, Thursday to reach a career-high ranking of No. 7. Although one of the most popular and wealthiest players in tennis, she is still awaiting that elusive first singles win, having played more than 80 WTA Tour events.

Kournikova reached her only final of the season -- and just the third of her career -- last month at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, where she lost to Hingis. The two played again last week in Philadelphia and Hingis improved to 10-1 lifetime against her current doubles partner.

"We just played last week and three weeks before that, so we're pretty used to playing against each other," Kournikova said. "I'm just going to have to play my best tennis to try to beat her. I know it's going to be very difficult but, as usual, I will try to do my best."

Kournikova teamed with Hingis to win the doubles title here last year, but she was dumped in favor of Mary Pierce to start the season. After Pierce went down with an injury at the U.S. Open, the two renewed their partnership. Together they have won eight tournaments -- three coming in their last four events.

On Friday, Seles advanced to the semifinals at this tournament for the first time since 1992 as she defeated South Africa's Amanda Coetzer, 6-3, 6-4.

The 26-year-old American, who missed last year's event with a foot injury, is possibly competing in her last season-ending tournament as it moves next year to Germany, the country where she was stabbed during a match in 1993.

A winner of three titles this year, Seles also captured the bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics. The former world No. 1 became the youngest player to win the season-ending championships at 16 years, 11 months in 1990 and successfully defended her title the next two years.

Making her Chase Championships debut, Dementieva continues to surprise. She followed up her first-round defeat of defending champion Lindsay Davenport with a thrilling 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory over fellow teenager Kim Clijsters of Belgium in Friday's quarterfinals.

This already has been a breakthrough season for the 19-year-old Dementieva, who reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at the U.S. Open and won the silver medal at the Sydney Olympics.

"I feel like after I beat Davenport and now Kim that nobody can beat me," said Dementieva, who has never faced Seles before. "But I think Monica will change the situation."

If either Kournikova or Dementieva reach Sunday's final, it would mark the first time a player making her Chase debut advanced to the championship match since Hingis in 1996.