Hingis Is Pushed to the Limit

CARLSBAD, Calif. — Although she sometimes seems like a 16-year-old know-it-all, Martina Hingis is still learning on the job. And the world’s top-ranked woman tennis player still can be taught a lesson, even when she wins.

The top-seeded Hingis defeated a stubborn Conchita Martinez, 6-4, 6-4, Friday at the Toshiba Tennis Classic, in a quarterfinal match that took 1 hour 42 minutes at the La Costa Resort. Hingis had her usual command of shots, but the seventh-seeded Martinez was not intimidated, fending off eight match points.

In the night match, seventh-seeded Mary Pierce of France overpowered countrywoman Sandrine Testud, 6-3, 6-2.

Pierce will play Hingis, and second-seeded Monica Seles will play third-seeded Amanda Coetzer in today’s semifinals.

Testud had only one break point against Pierce, who played with the power and skill that brought her the Australian Open title in 1995. She hit 29 winners and controlled every aspect of the match.

“There was nothing I could do tonight,” Testud said. “I never had the chance to win in this match. She just hit winners everywhere.

“When she plays like this, I think she can beat anybody.”

Pierce is not playing just anybody in today’s afternoon match, she’s playing the hottest player on the tour. The last time she met Hingis was in the final of this year’s Australian Open, which Hingis won. But Pierce holds a 3-1 advantage over Hingis in her career.

Hingis called her match against Martinez one of the most difficult she has played this year and learned that even her 52-1 season record doesn’t ensure that she’ll be able to close out a match she has in hand.

And if Hingis is learning, Martinez, 25, is improving. She has changed coaches and now travels with a fitness trainer. The change is apparent.

“I feel that I’ve been moving great [on the court],” Martinez said.

Friday’s match was a replay of last week’s final at Palo Alto, except that Martinez did not tire in the second set as she had after defeating Monica Seles and Amanda Coetzer on her way to the final.

“It was different from the last match,” Hingis said. “She was tired already by the time she had got to the final. I knew it was going to be much more difficult, but I didn’t think it was going to be that hard.”

Martinez elected to hit high balls to Hingis’ forehand, a tactic that misfired several times on a windy day. Even so, her slices and unusually paced shots put Hingis off balance, especially in the first set.

Hingis broke first, in the fifth game but Martinez broke back to reach 4-4. In the ninth game, Hingis needed four break points to break and put herself in a position to serve for the set.

It wasn’t easy, but eventually Hingis won the set.

The second set was much closer and better played.

“It was a very good match for both of us,” Hingis said. “You didn’t know what was going to happen until the end.”

Hingis broke in the fifth game and again in the seventh to take a 5-2 lead. But Martinez refused to quit and continued to push Hingis around the court and handle what are usually winners.

“She makes you almost crazy when you can’t finish up the point,” Hingis said. “You can’t put the ball away.”

Martinez marched back by breaking and then holding to force Hingis to serve for the match at 5-4. That game went to deuce five times and with each frustrating shot, Hingis’ will appeared to slip a little more.

Then, a 96-mph service winner closed out the match for her.

Statistically, it wasn’t a great day for Hingis. Her 32 unforced errors might have been a personal record. Martinez had something to do with that. Her penetrating shots pressed Hingis into the kind of rushing to which she is unaccustomed.

Surprising, too, was Hingis’ inability to take advantage of break points. She converted only 25% of her opportunities.

All of which serves to reinforce how much better Hingis is than anyone else on the tour. Even on her bad days, she’s at a level unreachable by others.

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Toshiba Classic at La Costa Resort, Carlsbad

TODAY’S SEMIFINALS

* 1 p.m.--Martina Hingis (1) vs. Mary Pierce (6)

* 7 p.m.--Amanda Coetzer (3) vs. Monica Seles (2)