| CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) -- Martina Hingis of Switzerland, conscious of her tenuous hold on the world's No. 1 ranking, banged out a 6-1, 6-4 victory over unheralded Lilia Osterloh of Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday in the second round of the Acura Classic at La Costa Resort and Spa.
Hingis took 61 minutes to dispose of the 1997 NCAA singles champion from Stanford now ranked 53rd by the Women's Tennis Association.
``In the second set I had a harder time holding serve. It's a tough draw here. I don't want to fall. I want to stay up there'' on her perch as the world's best player, she said.
This was the first match for Hingis since she lost in the first round at Wimbledon to Spain's Virginia Ruano Pascual, then ranked 83rd in the world, 6-4, 6-2.
In the interim, Hingis said, ``I took time to practice, and now I'm 100 percent mentally and physically back together.''
Two other seeds, all of whom drew first-round byes, won Tuesday.
No. 6 Nathalie Tauziat of France won in two tie-breaker sets from Nadia Petrova, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5).
No. 7 Monica Seles of Sarasota, Fla., defeated Evie Dominikovic of Australia, 6-3, 6-4.
Tonight's feature match marks the return to singles competition of Anna Kournikova of Russia, the 9th seed, who has been sidelined since February with a stress fracture in her left foot.
She will play unseeded Nicole Pratt of Australia. |
