Something Will Give Between These Partners

When doubles partners play each other in singles, there is an inclination to believe that it would be difficult to play your “teammate.” Think again.

Monday’s four women’s matches in the U.S. Open set up intriguing quarterfinal matches that will divide two doubles teams in matches they say they’ll have no trouble playing to win.

Top-seeded Martina Hingis will face her doubles partner, 10th-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, and third-seeded Jana Novotna will play her partner, sixth-seeded Lindsay Davenport.

Hingis advanced by defeating Florencia Labat of Argentina, 6-0, 6-2, requiring only 51 minutes. Sanchez Vicario defeated Rachel McQuillan of Australia, 6-1, 6-2; Novotna defeated Mary Joe Fernandez of Miami, 7-5, 6-4, and Davenport defeated Magui Serna of Spain, 6-0, 6-3.

Each of the winners said, perhaps more readily than seemed kind, that playing, and beating, her doubles partner posed no problem at all.

“Jana and I get on well on the court, good friends,” Davenport said. “But there’s no personal relationship off the court. I don’t think it’s difficult in that way at all.”

Sanchez Vicario and Hingis began playing doubles at the start of the year and Sanchez Vicario played and lost to Hingis in singles at the French Open, so they have already faced that potential problem.

“I think she knows my game. I know her game,” Sanchez Vicario said.

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Today’s Featured Matches

WOMEN, QUARTERFINALS

* Monica Seles (1) vs. Irina Spirlea (11)

* Venus Williams vs. Sandrine Testud.

MEN, FOURTH ROUND

* Michael Chang (2) vs. Cedric Pioline.

* Patrick Rafter (13) vs. Andre Agassi.