Hingis, Federer advance at Aussie Open
(AP)
Updated: 2006-01-22 09:38

As Roger Federer sees it, there's room for more than one Swiss star at the Australian Open.

On a day when heat proved the most formidable opponent — temperatures hit 104 degrees — Federer advanced to the round of 16 with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory over 30th-seeded Max Mirnyi of Belarus.

Martina Hingis of Switzerland returns a shot during her match against Iveta Benesova of Czech Republic at the Australian Open Tennis Tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan 21, 2006. Hingis won 6-4, 6-1. [AP Photo]

He'll have some company in Martina Hingis. Three years out of retirement, Hingis clearly seems to be on her game, her latest victory a 6-4, 6-1 decision over Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic.

Federer, top ranked and going for his second Australian Open crown, is happy to see someone else carry the Swiss flag in the season's first major.

"Fantastic. I'm extremely happy she's back," he said. "I really hope she can go a long way. Being a Swiss, I'm really excited."

Hingis won three Australian titles. Now, after an extended absence while she recuperated from foot and heel injuries, she has won her first three matches in her Grand Slam return.

She remains a long shot for the title. Not so Federer, who had only 10 unforced errors and faced only one break point in his victory over Mirnyi.

He finished off his opponent in under two hours in the last night match on Rod Laver Arena, completing a day that started with Hingis racing through her third-round match before the scorching sun kicked in.

"I'm happy. I haven't lost a set, I'm through to the fourth round once again," Federer said. "Everything is feeling good. I have no injuries. I'm a happy person."

Federer next plays Tommy Haas, who beat him in Australia in 2002 and, more recently, in an exhibition last week at Kooyong.

"I'm really looking forward to that match," said Federer, who is 8-0 this season.

The temperature was nudging 95 when Hingis broke Benesova for the sixth time to seal her match in 66 minutes. It soon got hotter.

Organizers invoked the extreme heat policy for a second day, suspending matches on outside courts for more than five hours as the temperature topped 104.

Hingis made sure she took shelter in a hurry, remembering what can happen Down Under in the noonday sun. She quit tennis in 2002 after making six consecutive finals in Australia — winning the first three and losing the next three.

In her last final, in '02, Hingis wasted four match points against Jennifer Capriati on a fierce summer's day, wilting in the heat.

Hingis is trying to conserve as much energy as she can. She has dropped only 10 games in three rounds and has spent only 3 hours, 3 minutes on the court.

"Coming into this tournament, I was like, 'OK, tough first round, see if I survive that first,' but one by one ... expectations definitely grow," she said. "I mean, with every match I'm getting more confidence."

Next up is unseeded Australian Samantha Stosur and a possible quarterfinal looms against second-seeded Kim Clijsters.

"I didn't mind today," said Hingis. The match started at 11 a.m., "so it wasn't as cruel, brutal. Towards the end of the second set you could feel the heat, but she felt it more than I did."

Michaella Krajicek felt it more than anyone, quitting after losing the opening set 6-2 to third-seeded Amelie Mauresmo.

With ice bags around her neck, the 17-year-old Dutch player was treated for heat stress before telling the umpire: "I can't play."

"I felt like I was going to throw up ... I couldn't even see the ball because my eyes were burning," said Krajicek, who cooled off with an ice bath.

Clijsters wasn't hampered by back and hip pain that has bothered her for 10 days, advancing 6-1, 6-2 over Roberta Vinci and setting up a fourth-round match against another Italian. Francesca Shiavone swept Maria Sanchez Lorenzo 6-0, 6-0.

Also advancing were No. 7 Patty Schnyder, No. 12 Anastasia Myskina, the 2004 French Open champion, and No. 16 Nicole Vaidisova.

Dominik Hrbaty didn't mind the heat, spending 3 1/2 hours overcoming Igor Andreev to claim his third consecutive five-set match.

Also winning were No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko, No. 25 Sebastien Grosjean — upsetting No. 6 Guillermo Coria — No. 21 Nicolas Kiefer, Paul-Henri Mathieu and Juan Ignacio Chela.

Playing as a wild card, ranked No. 349 and with only four tour matches coming in, Hingis schooled Benesova.

"She made me feel so uncomfortable because she's very clever; a very smart player," Benesova said. "She knows exactly where to put the ball. It's like I had no rhythm."

Hingis, who made only 12 unforced errors, worked the angles, playing touch and slice, increasing the pace on her ground strokes and working on her serve, which she knows is vulnerable to the new-age heavy hitters. She doesn't think that it's all been easy.

"It's just really underestimated because I was down 3-1 today, thankfully, I broke right back," she said. "I don't think I played my best tennis today, but, as long as you win it's always good. I know I still have a ways to go."

Temperatures are forecast to hit 106 Sunday. All fourth-round singles matches will be played in Rod Laver or Vodafone arenas, which can be covered because of rain or extreme heat.