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Pierce out as heat takes toll
Glamour girls Martina Hingis, Venus Williams and Mary Pierce were in no mood for three set struggles as on court temperatures soared to 51 degrees c, on Saturday.
Glamour girls Martina Hingis, Venus Williams and Mary Pierce were in no mood for three set
struggles as on court temperatures soared to 51 degrees c, on Saturday.
And all were back in the locker room after two.
The problem for Mary was that she was under the shower a loser, crashing out of the tournament she won in 1995 to Argentinian Paola Suarez.
The reigning French Open champion was hammered 6-3 6-2 in 58 minutes by the world no. 37 who earned a fourth round crack at 10th seed Amanda Coetzer, who beat Germany's Marlene Weingartner in straight sets.
Pierce, who has suffered this season from eye problems and admitted after her second round match that she needed contact lenses, made 33 unforced errors as she struggled to see Surez's flashing groundstrokes.
Hingis had better vision but had the indignity of being broken twice by unknown French wildcard Virginie Razzano before the three-time champion triumphed 7-5 6-1.
Venus had a one break blip against the Czech Republic' Denisa Chladkova but moved up a gear to win 6-4 6-1.
She now plays Amelie Mauresmo, the French 13th seed and a finalist two years ago, who said she had the weapons to beat the US Open and Wimbledon champion.
I've got my little idea about how to play her but that's a secret, Mauresmo said after coming through her third round match against Iva Majoli 6-4 6-2. It'll be interesting.
The two women have not met since the 1998 Australian Open. Williams won that third round clash in straight sets.
The problem for Mary was that she was under the shower a loser, crashing out of the tournament she won in 1995 to Argentinian Paola Suarez.
The reigning French Open champion was hammered 6-3 6-2 in 58 minutes by the world no. 37 who earned a fourth round crack at 10th seed Amanda Coetzer, who beat Germany's Marlene Weingartner in straight sets.
Pierce, who has suffered this season from eye problems and admitted after her second round match that she needed contact lenses, made 33 unforced errors as she struggled to see Surez's flashing groundstrokes.
Hingis had better vision but had the indignity of being broken twice by unknown French wildcard Virginie Razzano before the three-time champion triumphed 7-5 6-1.
Venus had a one break blip against the Czech Republic' Denisa Chladkova but moved up a gear to win 6-4 6-1.
She now plays Amelie Mauresmo, the French 13th seed and a finalist two years ago, who said she had the weapons to beat the US Open and Wimbledon champion.
I've got my little idea about how to play her but that's a secret, Mauresmo said after coming through her third round match against Iva Majoli 6-4 6-2. It'll be interesting.
The two women have not met since the 1998 Australian Open. Williams won that third round clash in straight sets.
Bureau Report