Hingis sets up quarterfinal meeting with SharapovaPosted on 02/22/2006 2:33:23 PM PST by theFIRMbss
Hingis sets up quarterfinal meeting with Sharapova
22.02.2006
Martina Hingis beat Anastasia Myskina at the Dubai Open on Wednesday to set up a quarterfinal with Maria Sharapova.
Hingis defeated the sixth-seeded Russian 6-4, 6-3 in the second round to fix up the meeting with an opponent she beat in straight sets in Tokyo this month. Sharapova, seeded third, downed Vera Dushevina 6-1, 6-0 in 60 minutes.
"I do not have revenge on my mind, but I don't like losing to the same player twice in a row," Sharapova said. "Martina played some amazing tennis in Tokyo, but it is a different match tomorrow."
Top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo, the Australian Open champion, beat Slovakian qualifier Henrieta Nagyova 6-3, 6-1, while defending champion Lindsay Davenport won her 700th singles match. She beat Russia's Elena Likhovtseva, who's ranked 13 places below her, 6-0, 6-0 in 58 minutes.
"I played well and my body held up," said the 29-year-old Davenport. "To win here, I need to play four days in a row. I am not getting any younger and I have to be fresh for my next match."
Fourth-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne, playing her first match since retiring from the Australian Open final because of stomach pain, labored to beat qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko 6-4, 7-5. The four-time Grand Slam champion was down 3-0 in the second set after several unforced errors.
Five-time Grand Slam winner Hingis, playing again this year after a three-year absence, rallied from 15-40 in the first game of the opening set to hold her serve and moved out to a crucial 4-1 lead. In the second set, Hingis made the all-important break in the fourth game to go 3-1 up and then held her serve.
"Winning the first game showed her that I am here and I am prepared and that she has to earn her points," Hingis said. "It is not a comeback anymore. This is my fifth tournament. It is more like the second part of my career."
Fifth-seeded Francesca Schiavone beat Tunisia's Selima Sfar, while eighth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia lost to 2004 US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 3-6, 6-1, 7-5. Russia's Maria Kirilenko advanced with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic, reports AP.
Hingis is playing again?? Sheesh, how did I miss that, I really liked her.
I always liked her. She has incredible talent but I think she needed her head fixed to deal better with losses and mistakes, perhaps a sports psychologist fixed her.
I copied and pasted but that link didn't work. Does it work for you?
1. Mauresmo vs. Kuznetsova
2. Henin-Hardenne vs. Schiavone
3. Hingis vs. Sharapova (NB 19.00hrs Dubai time)
4. Kirilenko vs. Davenport
They're ten hours up
from Chicago time. Right now,
Mauresmo's playing . . .
 |
Tennis in Dubai was rained out. [!] Tomorrow's play has a new order: |
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Centre Court (from 10.30hrs -- [Dubai time is Chicago+10 hrs])
1. Mauresmo vs. Kuznetsova (to finish)
2. Hingis vs. Sharapova (NB 11.30hrs)
3. [Mauresmo or Kuznetsova] vs. [Henin-Hardenne or Schiavone] (NB 14.00hrs)
4. Mirza/Vento-Kabchi vs. Hantuchova/Sugiyama
5. [Hingis or Sharapova] vs. [Kirilenko or Davenport] (NB 19.00hrs)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm sure they like their drinks.
Maria Sharapova defeated Martina Hingis in straight sets Friday to reach the semifinals of the Dubai Open.
... Sharapova will play Davenport in the semifinals later Friday, while Henin-Hardenne faces Kuznetsova.
...Hingis, a five-time Grand Slam singles winner, kept pace with Sharapova until 3-3. The Russian then unleashed forehand winners to break Hingis in the seventh and ninth games to win the first set.
"I needed to keep on attacking as it is difficult to keep rallying with her," Sharapova said.
The pair twice traded serves to tie 3-3 in the second set before Sharapova broke Hingis in the eighth game. Sharapova had a chance to serve for the set, but made several unforced errors before converting her third match point.
"I was not patient enough, and my concentration was not good," said Hingis, ranked 50th after a three-year retirement. "My aim right now is to get seedings in tournaments. That should give me a few easy first-round matches. If I can achieve that, I will start thinking of other goals."
[Top-seeded Mauresmo loses at Dubai Open]
Hingus is on the way.
We'll aee where she is in 3 months.
Tied 1-1 first set.
Sharapova just broke Henin-Hardenne
Henin broke back...tied 5-5 first set.
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