Hingis storms ahead

MELBOURNE, Australia – Martina Hingis took another step in her Grand Slam comeback with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Iveta Benesova before stifling heat forced play indoors today at the Australian Open.

Hingis, the former No. 1 player in the world, advanced to the fourth round. After a three-year retirement because of foot and heel problems, she flashed the form that carried her to six consecutive finals at Melbourne Park.

On Friday night, defending champion Serena Williams fended off four match points before she was upset 6-1, 7-6 (5) by 17th-seeded Daniela Hantuchova in the third round.

Williams’ loss means there will be no repeat singles champion.

Marat Safin, the 2005 men’s winner, didn’t make it to Melbourne because of a knee problem.

Also today, third-seeded Amelie Mauresmo was leading Michaella Krajicek 6-2 in the following match when the 17-year-old Dutch player withdrew because of heat stress.

Krajicek, with icebags around her neck, had her temperature and pulse taken by trainers before telling the umpire: “I can’t play.”

“I felt like I was going to throw up,” Krajicek said later. “I couldn’t even see the ball because my eyes were burning.”

Mauresmo said although the heat policy was enacted during their match, suspending play on outside courts, she had not noticed Krajicek struggling until the end.

“She seemed to have trouble with the heat, which I can understand,” Mauresmo said.

The roof over Rod Laver Arena was closed before the later men’s match between Tommy Haas and Australia’s Peter Luczak.

Matches on outside courts were suspended when the temperature hit 95 degrees just before 1 p.m. local time.

That was too late for the third-round matches already under way, which had to continue.

Two Frenchmen advanced from those: No. 25 Sebastien Grosjean took almost three hours to upset No. 6 Guillermo Coria 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 and Paul-Henri Mathieu beat Peru’s Luis Horna 7-6 (3), 7-6 (7), 6-1.

No. 12 Dominik Hrbaty beat Igor Andreev 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in 3 hours, 31 minutes.

Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela, who ousted No. 3 Lleyton Hewitt in the second round, defeated Kristof Vliegen 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

Chela appeared to be struggling in the third set, shuffling slowly around the court and frequently toweling off between points.

After Vliegen sent a service return long on match point, Chela pumped his fist, hit a ball to his fans and tossed a soaked towel into the stands.

Argentine fans who brought national flags to Show Court 2 draped them over their heads and legs to protect themselves from the sun.

Only a handful of matches continued at two indoor arenas as the temperature exceeded 104 at 3 p.m., with on-court heat much hotter.

In one of those, women’s No. 7 Patty Schnyder beat Japan’s Aiko Nakamura 6-2, 6-3.

Roger Federer, the overwhelming favorite in the men’s draw, was to play Max Mirnyi in the third round later today.

The weather was hot enough Friday afternoon for organizers to enforce the extreme heat policy and wet enough in the evening to postpone five matches.

In earlier matches, 2004 French Open winner Anastasia Myskina beat Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson 6-3, 6-1. Nicole Vaidisova beat Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 6-2 and will meet Mauresmo in the next round.

Playing as a wild card and ranked No. 349, Hingis overwhelmed Benesova with forehand and backhand winners, mixing heavy ground strokes with clever slice and drop shots and even firing three aces.

Hingis won the first of her three consecutive Australian Open titles in 1997. She lost finals from 2000-02 and quit the tour later that season. She returned on the Gold Coast earlier this month.

The 25-year-old Swiss star has lost only 10 games in three matches here, but that doesn’t mean she’s been cruising.

“I don’t think it was that easy when I was down 3-1 today,” she said. “Every match I get out here is a coming back home.”

With every win comes increasing expectations.

“Coming into this tournament, I was like, ‘OK, tough first round, see if I survive that one first,’ ” she said. “But one by one … expectations definitely grow. With every match I’m getting more confidence.”

Hingis’ serve has continued to improve as her comeback progresses. She got 64 percent of her first serves in and won almost 80 percent of those points.

Hingis next plays the winner of today’s match between Australia’s Samantha Stosur and Sybille Bammer of Austria.