Tennis: Exit the underdogs as seeds display class

By Foster Niumata

The tennis players who had not faced each other before, met in passing. The two who had, decided on a long reacquaintance.

Before the spreading fire bans reached Stanley St, the ASB Bank Classic's leading title chasers put a final torch to the underdogs to ensure all four top seeds reached the semifinals today for the first time in 20 years.

No 1 seed and champion Dominique van Roost, No 3 Julie Halard-Decugis and No 4 Barbara Schett were in no mood for pleasantries in first-time match-ups, deigning an average one hour each of their time.

Sustained resistance was given, of course, only by No 7 and renowned brawler Chanda Rubin in the only quarter-final with a history, against No 2 and last year's runner-up Silvia Farina.

Rubin had won their previous two contests, but those were in the days when Rubin was torturing herself to the top 10 and Farina was too shy for press conferences because they meant the Italian had to speak English. Fortunes have turned.

Rubin is still battling back from wrist surgery, Farina has nudged the top 20. Yet, they still took nearly two hours to separate, Farina prevailing 6-3 4-6 7-5.

There were inches in it: Rubin had two break-points at 4-3 in the third, and lost the second when, trying to send an acute shot into the umpire's chair, it clipped the net and looped wide. Farina, pasting the lines, jumped on Rubin's second serves to break for 6-5. Game over.

"Last year I didn't expect to start so well here, but after having a lot of success [four finals in `98] I am more motivated to do much better. Yes, I think I can win this tournament," said Farina, a third-time Auckland semifinalist who now faces Halard-Decugis, who became a second-time semifinalist when unseeded Maria Antonia Sanchez Lorenzo retired.

Sanchez Lorenzo suffered a groin strain last night, taking a time-out when she had lost two successive games for 2-6 2-3. When she lost another two games, she stopped.

Halard-Decugis, sympathising with the Spaniard, has a 4-1 match lead on Farina, but Farina won their last clash in last year's quarters. "She's come from nowhere to get to 22 last year and that means it could be tough tomorrow," Halard-Decugis said.

Van Roost beat Schett twice last year on carpet and clay. Van Roost was impressed by 23rd-ranked Schett's massacre of 27th-ranked Lisa Raymond, but warned: "Tomorrow, she plays somebody different.

"Today she played an incredible match, so I'm going to have to do more than today. But I think I prefer the game she plays because she is playing in rhythm and I can also use the power of her game."

Van Roost, matched against someone more her own size after beating up New Zealander Leanne Baker, seesawed with 71st-ranked Kristina Brandi. It took van Roost 30 minutes to figure out the baseline road-runner, and swirling breeze, then van Roost left the improving American in her dust, 6-4 6-0.

Schett had been shown the side door in her three previous main draw appearances, and now, after finally winning her first match, the 22-year-old Austrian seems determined to hang around.

She crunched Raymond 6-1 6-1 in an eyeblink, officially 48 minutes, and it was all a mystery to her. Schett had not warmed up well, being tired from singles and doubles the day before, and yesterday morning was grey and cool. But when her match began, she was shocked, as was Raymond.

"I played so unbelievable today I don't know what I was doing. I never expected to win so easy, probably go three sets for sure. I thought I could lose.

"I was just incredible, I don't know if I can play that good. I hope I don't warm up good tomorrow," she quipped.

Pictured: Italian Silvia Farina during her quarter-final win over American Chanda Rubin. HERALD PICTURE / PAUL ESTCOURT