Hingis Powers Her Way Into Semis

Martina Hingis, brandishing a polished game far beyond her years, moved closer to becoming the youngest Australian Open champion in history as she advanced Wednesday to the semifinals against two-time finalist Mary Joe Fernandez.

The 16-year-old Hingis tattooed the corner with one final backhand return to beat Romanian Irina Spirlea 7-5, 6-2 in a match that showed off all the Swiss teen’s precocious talents from the baseline and the net.

Hingis, at No. 4 the highest seed left in the tournament, is seeking to replace Monica Seles as the youngest Australian Open champion and the youngest Grand Slam singles champion this century. Seles was 17 when she won the first of her four Australian titles in 1991.

Fernandez, seeded No. 14, won when pain-wracked Dominique van Roost tearfully quit in the second set with a pulled abdominal muscle.

Van Roost, who was able to fight through her injury by wearing a corset while upsetting No. 15 Chanda Rubin after knocking off No. 2 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, finally had to give up while trailing 7-5, 4-0 when the pain became too great.