Defeated Complain of Poor Officiating

Mary Pierce got to the point, ripping the officiating at the Acura Classic on Friday. Several hours later, Conchita Martinez expressed the same sentiments.

Martinez and Pierce had one more thing in common. They both lost in the quarterfinals, falling apart swiftly after the disputed calls. The third-seeded Pierce of France exited in the afternoon, losing to countrywoman Julie Halard-Decugis, 7-5, 6-1, at the Manhattan Country Club in Manhattan Beach. The struggling Pierce was also blunt about her own performance, calling it “terrible.”

Pierce’s downfall came when she unraveled in the second set after a disputed call, an ace by Halard-Decugis. Pierce, who led, 1-0, promptly lost the next five games and later criticized the officials, saying she was angered at the call.

At night, under the lights, top-seeded Lindsay Davenport of Newport Beach beat Conchita Martinez of Spain, 6-7, (7-4), 6-3, 6-2. It was Davenport’s first victory against Martinez in 1 1/2 years, and only her third in 10 matches.

Martinez was visibly unnerved about an overrule in the eighth game of the second set. She was trailing, 4-3, and serving at 30-30. There was an overrule on the baseline, and Davenport then had a break point. Martinez thought she had a play on the ball and the point should have been replayed.

She believed the match turned on that, saying: “Everything from then was as little bit more uphill for me. I thought that was a terrible call. The overrule, that was no winner. I got there.”

In today’s semifinals, Davenport, the defending champion, will play Halard-Decugis, and No. 2 Hingis will meet No. 6 Serena Williams. Davenport is 5-1 against Halard-Decugis, and Hingis has lost to Williams once in four matches.

Davenport was relieved to have escaped after squandering four set points in the 12th game of the first set.

“She’s such a tough match for me,” Davenport said. “I’ve always had a difficult time playing her. She mixes up the ball well. . . . I had all those chances and I didn’t win. But I was pretty happy with the way I hung in there. I could have easily folded because I don’t have a good record against her.”

Earlier, Hingis fought off No. 7 Barbara Schett of Austria, 6-7 (7-5), 6-3, 6-3.

*

Tennis Notes

Anna Kournikova of Russia withdrew from the du Maurier Open at Toronto, which starts Monday, because of a minor stress fracture in her right foot and is questionable for the U.S. Open.

Acura Classic

STADIUM COURT

Manhattan Country Club

* Noon--Lindsay Davenport (1) vs. Julie Halard-Decugis

* 7 p.m.--Serena Williams (6) vs. Martina Hingis (2)