& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Hingis reaches last four

From Tawfiq Aziz Khan
MELBOURNE. Jan 22: The Swiss sensation Martina Hingis brought up the rear of the women's semi-
finals at the Ford Australian Open as she swept past Irina Spirlea of Romania 7-5. 6-2 in the last quarterfinals on the Centre Court this afternoon.
The number four seed who has been playing almost flawless tennis, was aided by a number of double faults by her senior opponent who is seeded eighth in these championships. In her seven years as a professional player this match was the furthest Irina could go so far.
By winning today Martina keeps her slate clean against Spirlea whom she has beaten in all three previous encounters. Hingis will now play the baseline specialist American Mary Joe Fernandez (14) in the semifinals as the latter reached the last four after the withdrawal of Belgian Van Roost in the second set — due to injury.
In her press conference Hingis paid rich tribute to her more experienced opponent and said she was looking forward to their match. Fernandez, who has been playing professional tennis since 1986 reached the finals of Australian Open in 1990 and 1997. For Hingis it will be her first semifinal in a Grand Slam.
AP adds: The other semifinal pits No. 12 Amanda Coetzer of South Africa. Grafs conqueror here, against 1995 champion Mary Pierce, unseeded after a dismal 1996.
The men's semifinal lineup also includes some unfamiliar faces for such a late stage in a hardcourt Grand Slam touma-
No. 5 Thomas Muster, an undisputed master on clay but playing only his second grand Slam semifinal on any other surface, reached that stage by capitalizing on the errors of Nd. 3 Goran Ivanisevic for a 6-4. 6-2. 6-3 victory.
Ivanisevic hit 16 aces but won only 28 per cent of his second serve points as he tried des-perately for winners and sprayed 54 unforced errors to Muster's 14.
Muster now faces No. 1 Pete Sampras, who needed five sets to beat No. 10 Albert Costa despite losing his serve only once. Sampras served 23 aces as he prevailed 6-3, 6-7 (5-7). 6-1. 3-6. 6-2 in 2 hours. 52 minutes. The Spaniard, successful earlier on a number of drop shots, netted one on match point.
Also in the semifinals, facing No. 2 Michael Chang, is No.
25-ranked Carlos Moya of Spain, whose first year of Grand Slams in 1996 produced
two flrst-and two second-round losses.
Hingis said she won't do any more riding during the Open — there isn't time.
The fall, she said, "wasn t dangerous at all. My mom was there and she was laughing. Everybody was laughing."
Van Roost was trying to become the first Belgian woman to reach a Grand Slam semifi nal in the open era. after knocking out No. 2 seed Aranxta Sanchez Vicario and No. 15 Chanda Rubin, a semifinalist last year.
But at 5-5 in the first set. an abdominal muscle injury that had bothered her for a week, along with back and forearm pains, flared up strongly.
With her serve and overhead shots fading. Van Roost fell behind 7-5. 1-0. She had the trainer rewrap her abdomen, but the pain still worsened and she quit after losing three more games.