Hingis through to quarterfinals at Australian Open

Hingis made short work of beating Rita Grande in their fourth round match Keystone

Switzerland's Martina Hingis has secured her place in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne after scoring a decisive victory in the fourth round.

The world number one took just 46 minutes to beat Italy’s Rita Grande 6-0, 6-3. Despite the ease of her win, Hingis was not entirely satisfied with her own performance.

“I kept lobbing her and she kept hitting overheads,” Hingis said. “I was getting a little frustrated about that, but overall I played a very good game.”

Top-seeded Hingis now faces America’s Serena Williams in the quarterfinals. Williams, who is seeded sixth, advanced to the next stage after an easy win over Daja Bedanova of the Czech Republic.

Both Hingis and Williams expressed characteristic confidence before their showdown. Both players have yet to drop a set, and Hingis has lost just 12 games in four matches.

“I’ve prepared for it already,” Williams said. “My preparation was done before I got off the aeroplane.”

“I’m playing well, so I have the chance to beat anybody out there,” Hingis countered.

In doubles play on Monday, Hingis and her partner, the American Monica Seles, beat the Belgian duo Kim Clijsters and Laurence Courtois 6-2, 6-4. On Tuesday, Hingis and Seles will play Nicole Pratt of Australia and Meghann Shaughnessy of the United States in the fourth round.

swissinfo with agencies