Hingis Rises to Favored Status, Federer v Haas at Australian Open

"I was pretty happy with the beginning of the match," said Benesova, who was coming off her win over No. 5-ranked Mary Pierce. "I was 4-3 up. That game cost me a lot of energy, a lot of power. Was too hot today, and I felt so weak afterwards. I missed four returns in that next game and made three double faults on my serve. So it was a pity that I lost the first set like this. Then the second set, she made me feel so uncomfortable because she's very clever, very smart player. She knows exactly where to put the ball."

Another of the heat victims Saturday was Dutch teen Michaella Krajicek, who retired after losing the first set 6-2 to No. 3 seed Amelie Mauresmo, suffering heat exhaustion.

"I wasn't feeling my stomach, I felt like I was going to throw up," Krajicek said. "It's of course very disappointing to end the Australian Open like this, but I'm very happy how I played in Perth and Hobart. It's a very good start to the year. Hopefully I will recover fast and have great tournaments after this."

Other seeds into the fourth round Saturday with straight-set victories were (2) Kim Clijsters (d. Vinci), (7) Patty Schnyder (d. Nakamura), (12) Anastasia Myskina (d. Arvidsson), (15) Francesca Schiavone (d. Sanchez Lorenzo 0-and-0), and (16) Nicole Vaidisova (d. (20) Pennetta).

"You play bad, you drop. You play good, you go up," said Myskina after another erratic display that nonetheless saw the Russian advance. "If I can fight and be like, I don't know, calm on the court, then I can be Top 10 again. I'm not good enough for Top 10 right now. Definite. That's why I'm not there."

Clijsters says her hip and back are still bothering her but the injuries have lessened.

"I'm still not moving like I normally can, but a lot better," Clijsters said. "I just have to do a lot of treatment and everything and that's what I'm doing. I'm not going to hit tomorrow and just keep my routine going so that I'm fresh when I have to be out there. That's why I was wearing my tape today because I felt in my previous match, with the serve, I was just compensating my back a little bit. It started to hurt my left leg, my left hamstring, that's why it's taped today."

Aussie Sam Stosur also outlasted Austria's Sybille Bammer 6-3 in the third in the only all-unseeded affair on the day.

Scheduled for Sunday in Melbourne amidst temperatures predicted to top 110 degrees are (1) Davenport vs. (14) Kuznetsova, (4) Sharapova vs. (17) Hantuchova, (6) Petrova vs. Vesnina in an all-Russian, and (8) Henin-Hardenne vs. Ruano Pascual.
 
Federer Tames Beast, Coria Beaten at Australian Open

World No. 1 Roger Federer, expected to be tested by serve-and-volleying former doubles partner and No. 30 seed Max "The Beast" Mirnyi Saturday at the Australian Open, instead convincingly defeated the Belarussian 6-3, 6-4, 6-3, moving into the fourth round in his relentless pursuit of a seventh career grand slam title.

While Mirnyi failed in his upset bid Saturday, successfully moving into the fourth seed with wins over higher seeds were No. 25 Sebastien Grosjean, with the Frenchman ousting No. 6 Guillermo Coria in four sets, and No. 21 Nicolas Kiefer, with the German likewise dismissing No. 15-seeded former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero in four.

Coria contributed to his demise with 23 doubles faults.

Other seeds safely into the fourth round were No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko, dousing the fire of unseeded Aussie Nathan Healey in four, and No. 12 Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty, employing his superior fitness in melting down No. 23-seeded Russian Igor Andreev 6-4 in the fifth after trailing 1-2 sets.

"I was tired already going to the match," said Hrbaty after winning his third consecutive five-setter. "If we would play inside, I think I wouldn't win with Andreev. I think it's more mental, how much you will be able to push yourself. And I feel like, 'Always never give up.'"

Unseeded winners Saturday were German Tommy Haas (d. Luczak in four, setting up a meeting with Federer), Argentine Hewitt-killer Juan Ignacio Chela (d. Vliegen), and Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu (d. Horna).

On tap for Sunday are (2) Roddick vs. Marcos "Bombs Over" Baghdatis, (7) Ljubicic vs. (10) T.Johansson, (4) Nalbandian vs. (16) Robredo, and (11) Ferrer vs. Fabrice "The Magician" Santoro.

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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
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