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Former world number one Martina Hingis reached the semi-finals of the 5.27 million-dollar Pacific Life Open here Wednesday with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Russian Dinara Safina.
Hingis, who ousted second-seeded American Lindsay Davenport on Tuesday to reach the quarter-finals, was never in trouble against the 19-year-old Safina, a four-time titlist on the WTA Tour who had surprised fifth-seeded compatriot Anastasia Myskina to reach the round of eight.
Hingis will meet either third-seeded Russian Maria Sharapova or seventh-seeded German Anna-Lena Groenefeld in the semi-finals.
The 25-year-old Swiss star has already beaten Sharapova once since returning to the WTA Tour in January after a three-year absence.
In men's fourth-round matches Wednesday, talented young Frenchman Richard Gasquet had another shot at Switzerland's world number one Roger Federer.
Gasquet was one of only four men to beat Federer last year, triumphing in the quarter-finals at the Monte Carlo clay court Masters Series in April.
Federer avenged that defeat in the final at the Hamburg Masters Series the following month, and the 19-year-old Gasquet's progress up the rankings has since been slowed by an elbow injury that sidelined him from October through the end of 2005.
In the wake of that layoff he has had an erratic start to 2006, but Federer said he would be treating him with a healthy respect.
"He has not had the best start of the year so far," Federer said. "I hope this is not his tournament where he really wants to show how good he is."
The winner will face either sixth-seeded Ivan Ljubicic or Mario Ancic in the quarter-finals - the Croatian Davis Cup heroes facing off later in the day.
In the bottom half of the draw, French Open champion Rafael Nadal, the second seed, faced France's Sebastien Grosjean.
The winner of that match will meet surprise Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus, who beat Czech Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-1.
bb/rcw06
Tennis-ATP-WTA-USA
AFP 152113 GMT 03 06
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