Seles Shows Stuff

Monica Seles, in her first match this year, beat Naoko Sawamatsu of Japan 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in the Lipton Championships at Key Biscayne, Fla.

The match was Seles’ first since she broke her right index finger while catching a serve during an exhibition in December.

Martina Hingis, on the verge of becoming the world’s top-ranked player, rallied from the brink of defeat in her opening match to beat Patricia Hy-Boulais 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

A loss wouldn’t have prevented Hingis from replacing Steffi Graf as the WTA’s top player on March 31. At age 16, Hingis will become the youngest No. 1 in history.

Top-seeded Michael Stich breezed into the semifinals of the $325,000 St. Petersburg (Russia) Open with a straight sets victory, 6-2, 6-4 over Kenneth Carlsen.

Stich next faces fifth seed Thomas Johansson of Sweden, a 6-2, 6-4 winner over Olivier Delaitre of France.