Hingis has No1 Williams in her sights

Venus Williams, the world No1, recovered from a slow start to beat Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in three sets to set up a semi-final against Martina Hingis in the Betty Barclay Cup in Hamburg.

Williams, 21, dropped her serve in the third game and lost the first set before rallying for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over the veteran Spaniard.

Trailing 4-1 in the first set, Williams called for her trainer to give her a fresh bandage on an inflamed ankle. But she stepped up her game in the second set and then rolled through the third, converting her first match point.

Hingis, seeded third, had an easier passage into the semi- finals, beating the sixth seed Daniela Hantuchova 7-5, 6-4.

"I want to be No1 again," she said after beating the 19-year-old Slovak who won her first career title earlier this year at Indian Wells. Hingis was the losing finalist on that occasion but a repeat rarely looked likely yesterday; Hantuchova wasted a set point in the first and all Hingis had to do was wait for mistakes.

"I was better prepared this time," said the 21-year-old Swiss. "I didn't underestimate her. I moved better.

"If you stop believing in yourself you might as well quit playing," added Hingis, who held the No1 spot for 209 weeks before ankle surgery last October. She has won two titles this year.

Williams, who is chasing her fifth title of the year, has played Hingis 18 times in all and trails 10-8.

Meanwhile the United States captain, Billie Jean King, hopes Williams will make herself available for the Americans' attempt to stay in the world group of the Fed Cup.

The States, who lost at home to Austria last weekend in a tie overshadowed by the sacking of Jennifer Capriati for refusing to follow team rules on private coaching sessions, were yesterday drawn against Israel in July in a play-off match they must win if they are to avoid dropping out of the elite.

"Serena [Williams] didn't give me an answer as to whether she'd be interested [in playing]," King said. "Venus was more forthcoming with 'Yeah, I think I want to play'."

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