Hewitt, Hingis survive a scare

NEW YORK, SEPT. 1. World No.1 Martina Hingis and men's contender Lleyton Hewitt made narrow escapes after being tested on a humid day of high drama at the US Open on Friday.

Hingis outlasted Croatia's Iva Majoli 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) to reach a fourth-round matchup with Yugoslavian Jelena Dokic at the year's last Grand Slam event. The Swiss star said she would be stronger for the struggle.

``Being two points away from losing, it can't get much worse,'' Hingis said. ``Now I just have to play my game, definitely play better in the next match if I want to stay in the tournament.''

Fourth-seeded Australian Hewitt rallied past American wild card James Blake 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 winning 10 of the final 11 games after the Harlem product threw up and hurt his right leg in his first five-setter.

``I didn't play well,'' Hewitt said. ``But Grand Slams are about five sets. It's about lasting 4-1/2 to 5 hours. You have got to be able to last 4-1/2, 5 hours for seven matches, otherwise you may be a better player on the tennis court but you're not physically the best out there.''

Hewitt faced a racism allegation for comments made while trailing in the third set, but denied the inference drawn by Blake, who later backed off being insulted at the remarks.

French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil and Wimbledon winner Goran Ivanisevic advanced with ease. Top seed Kuerten downed Denmark's Kristian Pless 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 as he tries to prove his hardcourt skills.

``I'm playing pretty well,'' Kuerten said. ``I have a chance. I still have hopes of playing better.''

Ivanisevic, the 15th seed, served 24 aces in defeating American Justin Gimelstob 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. The 29-year-old from Croatia will next face Albert Costa, one of six Spaniards among 12 who reached the third round on Friday.

``I've never beaten him and he's a guy that doesn't give you a lot of easy mistakes,'' Ivanisevic said. ``I have to serve well. But if I play like this, very confident, it should be a good match.''

Other spaniards moving through include fifth seed Juan Carlos Ferrero, who beat Vladimir Votchkov of Belarus 7-6 (7-2), 6-1, 6- 4, plus 11th seed Alex Corretja, 17th seed Carlos Moya, 25th seed Albert Portas and Tommy Rebredo, who ousted 32nd seed Todd Martin 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

Four women's fourth-round pairings were set with third seed Lindsay Davenport to face Russia's 21st-seeded Elena Likhovtseva, 10th seed Serena Williams to meet Wimbledon runner- up Justine Henin, seventh seed Monica Seles to play Czech Daja Bedanova and Hingis rematched against Dokic, who ousted her from the first round at Wimbledon in 1999.

Kafelnikov rallies to win

Seventh seed Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia reached the third round but not before rallying from two sets down in his second five-set triumph in a row. Kafelnikov outlasted Swiss qualifier George Bastl 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and 57 minutes, more than offsetting 13 double faults with his 24 aces.

Czech Jiri Novak advanced to the third round with a 6- 1, 6-1, 6- 2 triumph over German qualifier Bjorn Phau. He will next face 16th seed Tommy Haas, a German who ousted Spain's Felix Mantilla 6-1, 6-0, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.

lThe results (prefix denotes seedings):

Women (third round): 3-Lindsay Davenport (USA) bt 27-Angeles Montolio (Esp) 6-3, 6-2; 6-Justine Henin (Bel) bt Miroslava Vavrinec (Sui) 6-3, 6-2; 10-Serena Williams (USA) bt Martina Sucha (Svk) 6-1, 6-0; Daja Bedanova (Cze) bt 12- Meghann Shaughnessy (USA) 6-4, 6-1; 14-Jelena Dokic (Yug) bt 20- Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Esp) 6-4, 7-5; 21-Elena Likhovtseva (Rus) bt Barbara Schwartz (Aut) 6-7 (6/8), 7-5, 6-4.

7-Monica Seles (US) bt Eleni Daniilidou (Gre) 6-2, 6- 3; 1- Martina Hingis (Swi) bt Iva Majoli (Cro) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7- 4).

Men (second round): 1-Gustavo Kuerten (Bra) bt Kristian Pless (Den) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4; 4-Lleyton Hewitt (Aus) bt James Blake (USA) 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0; 5-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Esp) bt Vladimir Votchkov (Blr) 7-6, (7-2), 6-1, 6-4; 11-Alex Corretja (Esp) bt Jerome Golmard (Fra) 7-5, 7-6 (7/4), 7- 5; 12-Arnaud Clement (Fra) bt Jan Siemerink (Ned) 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/1), 6-1; 15- Goran Ivanisevic (Cro) bt Justin Gimelstob (US) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; 17-Carlos Moya (Esp) bt Fernando Vicente (Esp) 3-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6- 3; 18-Andy Roddick (US) bt Jack Brasington (US) 6-2, 6-1, 5-7, 7- 6 (7/4); Albert Costa (Esp) bt 23-Dominik Hrbaty (Svk) 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5); 25-Albert Portas (Esp) bt Andrei Stoliarov (Rus) 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3; Max Mirnyi (Blr) bt 27-Guillermo Canas (Arg) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3; David Nalbandian (Arg) bt 31-Nicolas Escude (Fra) 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5; Tommy Rebredo (Esp) bt 32-Todd Martin (US) 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

7-Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Rus) George Bastl (Swi) 2-6, 5- 7, 6-1, 6- 4, 6-3; Jiri Novak (Czech) bt Bjorn Phau (Ger) 6-1, 6- 1, 6-2; 16-Tommy Haas (Ger) Felix Mantilla (ESP) 6-1, 6-0, 6-7 (5-7), 6- 3.

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