Big Family Function Canceled by Hingis

By LISA DILLMAN

Jan. 24, 2001 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

MELBOURNE, Australia —

If there was not enough third-set drama generated between Martina Hingis and Serena Williams, nature offered an ominous soundtrack at the Australian Open today.

Seconds after Hingis hit a rocket-like forehand passing shot down the line in the 12th game, there was a loud rumble of thunder shaking Rod Laver Arena. Power tennis, indeed.

It was a proper salute to four hours of electric shot-making on a compelling afternoon featuring two women’s quarterfinal matches. Naturally, at the heart of it all were Venus and Serena Williams and their nemesis Martina Hingis.

Consider this, however. How often would a stirring Venus Williams comeback be thought of as the warm-up act?

The third-seeded Venus Williams was three points from elimination against No. 10 Amanda Coetzer of South Africa but escaped, winning, 2-6, 6-1, 8-6, in one hour 46 minutes. Coetzer, who had only one unforced error in the first set, was able to stay in lengthy rallies with her exceptional fitness. But she couldn’t quite reach match point.

“Today was not one of my better days,” said Williams, who lost to Coetzer on clay last year. “But I think I had no other choice than to just make the right choices. You know, I had no more room for error. So eventually, I was able to do that, fortunately.”

Then there was Hingis’ survival skills. Serena Williams had the top-seeded Hingis all but out of the event, leading 4-1 in the third set, up two service breaks. At one juncture, she was two points away from another sister-versus-sister Grand Slam semifinal meeting.

Suddenly, Serena started missing first serves. Hingis kept getting the ball back, kept her temper in check and continued to play the ball up the middle of the court. Hingis erased the lead and rattled off the next five games to take a 6-5 lead.

Oracene Williams, the coach and mother of Venus and Serena, applauded when Hingis found the corner with a powerful forehand winner.

Serena stopped the momentum by holding serve in the 12th game. Hingis held at love and reached match point on Williams’ serve. Williams stayed alive and in the point by lunging and throwing up a lob. Hingis retrieved it, but Williams was there for the volley.

Two points later, Hingis won it, running Williams all around the court, finishing the two-hour 19-minute match with a huge overhead, taking the quarterfinal, 6-2, 3-6, 8-6.

And now, the reward . . .

Facing Venus Williams in less than 24 hours in the semifinals. Defending champion Lindsay Davenport will meet No. 12 Jennifer Capriati in the other semifinal.

“I was just trying to hang in there,” Hingis said. “I wasn’t feeling that great. It was just a great comeback.”

Serena said she wasn’t completely healthy, either, even before the grueling 70-minute third set. She had her left ankle taped and needed medical attention from the trainer on several changeovers.

It appeared as though the trainer was giving something to Williams to calm her stomach. Williams, who was not set to appear for her news conference until after her doubles match later in the day, said she was sick.

“I wanted a big win today, but I wasn’t at my best or feeling my best,” Serena Williams said in a statement released by the WTA. “So I’m pretty disappointed. I did well, considering I haven’t eaten in two days, apart from some piece of toast here or there.

“I had food poisoning. . . . Definitely not happy.”

Apparently, she became ill before playing Daja Bedanova in the fourth round. But officials did not offer any specifics.

“Well, you have to watch what you eat then,” Hingis said.

At times, Williams looked weary. As the match went on, her movement improved. She nearly made one incredible get in the third set, facing break point on her serve while up 4-3, chasing down a Hingis lob and nearly crashing into the beer sign at the back of the court.

Hingis, too, was exhausted, at least mentally.

“It’s so much mental, she was pressuring me on the serve,” Hingis said. “I was a little bit tired. I was OK on the groundies. On the serve, I didn’t have the power anymore to get up from the earth. It was a great effort from both of us.”

She has worked hard on her game, knowing it will take superior efforts to get past Venus and Serena Williams in the same tournament.

“My game improved a lot,” Hingis said. “I was able to stay in the game and hit the ground strokes with her. I had a little bit trouble in the past. Today I was able to keep going and going until she missed.

“In the first set, I think played the best tennis ever.”

Matchups in the Australian Open, with the other men’s semifinalist being decided early today:

WOMEN

SEMIFINALS

Lindsay

Davenport (2)

vs.

Jennifer

Capriati (12)

Martina

Hingis (1)

vs.