Sanchez-Vicario, Hingis in semifinals

PARIS, JUNE 6. World number 1 Martina Hingis of Switzerland breezed into the semifinals of the $10.25 million French Open on Tuesday with a 6- 1, 6-3 rout of unseeded United States player Chanda Rubin. Hingis, 19, needed only 57 minutes to clinch her seventh victory over the 25th-ranked Rubin in nine meetings on third match point with an easy volley.

Hingis advanced to the final four the fourth straight year. She was a junior champion in 1993 and 1994, but is yet to take the women's title at the clay court climax and complete her collection of Grand Slam crowns.

''I am looking forward to my next match. But it will be tough. I lost to Monica in the semifinals two years ago and Mary is my doubles partner,'' said Hingis, who was very satisfied with herself. ``I am happy to win and played very good from the start.''

Former champion Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario saw off fourth-seeded American Venus Williams 6-0, 1-6, 6-2 to reach her 10th French Open semifinal. ``I played very well in the first set and didn't make any mistake. Then, in the second, Venus started to play really well and made it difficult for me. I started attacking again and moved up a gear in the third,'' said the 28-year-old Spaniard.

She first won the event as a 17-year-old in 1989 and added further titles on the slow, red clay here in 1994 and 1998.

Despite her potential, Williams, who turns 20 later this month, remains a member of the Grand Slam `nearly club', still seeking her first major title after her younger sister Serena won last year's US Open.

Williams, who had won the pair's four last meetings to lead their series 4-2, is making a comeback after being sidelined for six months by tendinitis in both wrists. Till Tuesday, she had been in impressive form here, not dropping a set, despite having played just two lead-up tournaments.

Sanchez-Vicario managed three breaks of the American's serve as she raced through the opening set in 29 minutes as the gangling Williams made 22 unforced errors and served three double faults. But she sped into an early lead in the second and took it 6-1 in 32 minutes.

Sanchez-Vicario then redoubled her efforts and broke for 2-0 at the start of the decider. Serving for the match at 5-1 she missed a match point as Williams broke her, but Williams then served up two double faults as she conceded the match.

The results: Women (quarterfinals): 8-Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Esp) bt 4- Venus Williams (US) 6-0, 1-6, 6-2.

Men (fourth round): Albert Costa (Esp) bt 9-Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4; Franco Squillari (Arg) bt 15-Younes el Aynaoui (Mor) 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.

Monday's results: men (fourth round): 12-Marat Safin (Rus) bt 6- Cedric Pioline (Fra) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5; 3-Magnus Norman (Swe) bt Andrei Medvedev (Ukr) 6-0, 6-4, 6-2.

- Reuters, AFP

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