World number one Martina Hingis had to dig deep for the second match in succession before making it through to the last eight of the $1.2 million Family Circle Cup tennis tournament in Charleston, South Carolina.

Hingis was taken to three sets by Croatia's Iva Majoli, who defeated the Swiss star in the 1997 final of the French Open at Roland Garros.

Majoli started strongly, adding to Hingis' recent woes by snatching the first set and then taking a 2-0 lead in the second. But the number one seed was able to raise her game, winning 11 of the next 13 games to secure the match 4-6 6-2 6-3.

Hingis, who won the Family Circle title in 1997 and 1999, also struggled in her second round match against the German qualifier, Bianka Lamade, who is ranked 117 in the world.

She will now face the number seven seed, France's Amelia Mauresmo, who has won her last three tournaments in Paris, Nice and, last week, Amelia Island.

Hingis crashed out of the $565,000 Amelia Island tennis championship in Florida, losing in the quarterfinals to Spain's Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in straight sets.

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