| | Associated Press
DEN BOSCH, Netherlands -- Resuming his rain-suspended match
leading a set and 2-1, Heineken Trophy defending champion Patrick
Rafter needed less than 15 minutes Thursday to wrap up his 6-3, 6-2
second-round victory over Dutchman Sjeng Schalken.
The Australian's haste was understandable with dark rain clouds
looming again.
Dutchman Richard Krajicek's match with Martin Damm was suspended
after the first game. When skies cleared and play restarted,
Krajicek, twice champion in Den Bosch in 1994 and '97, was upset by
the unseeded Czech 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4.
American fifth seed Michael Chang then ousted Frenchman Jerome
Golmard 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
The evening session produced victories for two seeded players
from France. No. 2 Nicolas Escude ousted Russian Michail Youzhny
7-5, 6-2, and No. 8 Francisco Clavet eliminated the last Dutchman in
the tourney, Peter Wessels, 6-4, 6-4.
But if Rafter is getting the practice he needs for an assault on
Wimbledon next week, the same can't be said of the world's No. 1
woman player, Martina Hingis, who has reached the semifinals with
only 36 minutes of tennis.
The Swiss star had a first-round bye, dropped just two games in
a second-round demolition of Jana Nejedly and was handed a
quarterfinal walkover Thursday when Cara Black of Zimbabwe withdrew
with a virus.
Friday's semifinal pits Hingis against American fourth-seeded
Jennifer Capriati, who downed Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 7-5,
7-5.
No. 8 Ruxandra Dragomir of Romania, who won the WTA Tour event
in 1997, upset Frenchwoman Sandrine Testud 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 and will
next face defending champion Kristina Brandi of the United States,
who ousted Australian Nicole Pratt 6-3, 7-5. | |
ALSO SEE
Thursday's results
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