HAMBURG. May 4: Martina Hingis rased Into the quarterfinals of Ilie Betty Barclay Cup here Wednesday with a 6-4. 6-1 victory over Austria's Sylvia Pllschke. and Anna Kournikova put her three clefeals in last weekend's Fed Cup behind her as she beat Israel's Anna Smashnova 6-3. 6-2. reports AFP.

Hingis, who is expected to regain the number one ranking from Lindsay Davenport this

week, overcame some stiff resistance from Pllschke to claim the opening set. but then swept to a commanding 4-0 lead in the second with the aid of some strong baseline play.

"I tried to play too much of a hardcourt match In the beginning. and I was excited and a little bit nervous, said Hingis Tn the second set I was looser and had more control.'

Kournikova, making her debut in Hamburg, used a powerful forehand and a succession of dropshots and winning re-

turns to compensate for her Jack of numerous errors from the baseline. In the end. Smashnova was simply overpowered by a stronger and more versatile opponent.

“She brings every ball back, so I had to be very patient." said Kournikova. '1 had to go for my shots because I knew she wasn't going to make a mistake or a winner

She was Just going to keep going, so I had to do everything myself. Even though I missed I tried to go after the shots, and 1 thought that for a first (European) clay court match it wasn't bad."

The sixth seeded Russian also Insisted that she was not discouraged by her lack of success In Moscow, where she lost three matches in four days.

"Those matches were very, very tough and very competitive and It was actually great tennis." she Insisted.

'The matches could have gone either way. After each match there I said I played great tennis, and I think everybody there saw that it was pretty tennis to watch."

Fifth seed Barbara Schett, who has struggled this year after enjoying a Highly successful 1999. received another setback when she was forced to retire - against Russia's Tatiana Panova.

Feeling dizzy and suffering from the flu. she retired with Panova leading 6-3. 1-0. The Austrian has now lost five opening round matches in eight tournaments this year, and lost eight of 16 matches.

In other matches, seventh seeded German Anke Huber rallied to beat Denisa Chlad-kova of the Czech Republic 6-3. 4-6. 6-0. and Magui Serna of Spain outlasted Switzerland's Patt> Schnyder G-4. 1-6. 7-6.

Sabine Apprhnans of Belgium defeated Argentina's Mariana Diaz Oliva 6-3. 7-6. Sarah Pitkowski of France overcame Amanda Hopmans of the Netherlands 6-0. 7-5, Andrea Glass of Germany beat Luxembourg's Anne Kremer 6-2. 1-6. 6-4 and Lubomira Bacheva emerged from a clash between two Bulgarian qualifiers with a 6-3. 6-3 win over Pavlina Nola.