Hingis made to work for victory
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The former world No 1 Martina Hingis had an uneasy passage into the second round of the Pilot Pen Championships in New Haven, Connecticut.
The Swiss-born 21-year-old, appearing in only her second tournament since recovering from ankle surgery in May, was pushed all the way by the spirited Russian Anna Smashnova before winning 6-4, 6-4.
After taking the first set on Monday, Hingis built up a 5-0 lead in the second with three breaks of serve. But Smashnova refused to give up and pulled back to 5-4, saving six match points before Hingis finally held serve to advance.
"I think this year I have a little match point problem," Hingis said. "I had to look for her strategy, and I realised I really had to fight and earn it."
In the only major upset of the first round so far, the little-known qualifier Angelika Roesch beat the eighth seed, Elena Dementieva, of Russia, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. Roesch said: "It was not very easy to finish, and also, I was a little nervous at the end. I knew how she was playing, and I got a good rhythm against her."
Elena Bovina was another qualifier to progress after a fine 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over the American Lisa Raymond.
In the day's other match, the American wild card Alexandra Stevenson had a 6-3, 7-5 victory over the Croatian qualifier Jelena Kostanic.
The big-serving Dutchman Richard Krajicek powered into the second round of the TD Waterhouse Cup at Long Island with a 6-1, 6-2 win over the Slovakian Dominik Hrbaty.
Krajicek, who served 14 aces and nine double-faults, maintained his good form since returning to the game at Wimbledon after 18 months out of the game through injury. It was Hrbaty's fourth hard-court defeat in five matches this season.
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