Hingis Advances to Semifinals

Martina Hingis, upset by Amy Frazier last week in the quarterfinals of the Acura Classic, got revenge with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Frazier Friday in the quarterfinals of the estyle.com Classic at the Manhattan Country Club in Manhattan Beach.

“I was excited to go out there and play her,” Hingis said after eliminating Frazier in 53 minutes. “I had nothing to lose, and she had to prove something, whether she was really playing well or if it was just me who had not played that good.

“Today I was more aggressive, and I was reading her game more.”

The only time Frazier challenged was when she broke serve, trailing 2-0 in the first set, but Hingis broke back and took control the rest of the match.

“I knew it would be a totally different match today than last week’s,” said Frazier, who won the tournament in 1994. “She doesn’t make too many errors. She just played really well. She always plays very tough and makes you win every shot.”

Hingis said last week’s loss to Frazier was a “wake-up” call.

“I’ve been practicing three or four hours since I lost to Amy,” she said earlier this week.

Hingis gained seven pounds of muscle after hitting the weight room up to six times a week, but she said that kept her from getting to the ball quicker.

“Mentally, I was going crazy even though I was feeling great,” she said. “I was not quick on the court; now I am figuring out my game again.”

Hingis will face defending champion and fifth-seeded Serena

Williams in today’s semifinals.

Williams defeated Hingis in the semifinals here a year ago and followed that with another win against Hingis, in the finals of the U.S Open.

“She’s playing solid now, after Wimbledon,” Hingis said.

“She serves very well. I just have to break her.”

Williams said she was disappointed with the way she has played this year, winning only one tournament.

She pulled out of the French Open at the end of May because of an injured left knee. She did not return to tournament play until Wimbledon, where she lost in the semifinals to older sister Venus.

“It’s going to be a tough match,” Hingis said. “I haven’t played her in quite a while. I’ll have to play the way I played today.

“One or two levels up, maybe three. We both have gotten much better. She played very well at Wimbledon and seems to have found herself.”

Lindsay Davenport also advanced to the semifinals by defeating Sandrine Testud of France, 6-4, 6-2, breaking out of a slow start she had on Thursday.

“I felt I hit the ball a lot better tonight,” she said. “I played a lot of matches before against her. So it probably made me want to play a little bit better and concentrate a little bit harder.

“I’m just happy to play better and get through.”

Davenport said she felt more comfortable striking the ball. She gave up only five service points in four games in the second set.

“I probably did some things pretty well tonight,” she said.

“I don’t think she did things all that well, and a lot of that is just a combination of the two.”

Testud knew she was in for a long night from the beginning.

“[Davenport] played very solid tonight. She didn’t make many mistakes,” Testud said.

“Tonight I didn’t feel like I had too many chances.”

Elena Dementieva of Russia will face Davenport today after defeating Lisa Raymond, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.

“I had success against her,” said Davenport, who defeated Dementieva, ranked 36th, in Rome and Indian Wells this year.

“I think she was a little bit intimidated. But she must be playing well here, she likes to hit the ball hard and I like that kind of matchup.”

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Semifinal Matches

Today’s schedule at the estyle.com Classic:

Stadium Court, noon

* Martina Hingis vs. Serena Williams, followed by Kimberly Po-Anne Gaelle Sidot vs. Tina Krizan-Irina Selyutina.

Stadium Court, 6 p.m.

* Elena Dementieva vs. Lindsay Davenport, followed by Nicole Arendt-Manon Bollegraf vs. Els Callens-Dominique Van Roost.