Another win for Hingis on comeback

MARTINA HINGIS continued on the comeback trail with a 6-3, 6-2 win over seventh-seeded Klara Koukalova, of the Czech Republic, in round two of the Mondial Australian Women’s Hardcourts tournament.

The 25-year-old, who beat Venezuela’s Maria Vento-Kabchi 6-2, 6-1 in the first round, left the WTA Tour after the 2002 season because of nagging injuries to her left foot, ankle and heel.

She played one tour match in Pattaya City, Thailand last February, losing to Germany’s Marlene Weingartner, and took part in World Team Tennis last summer.

The youngest woman ever ranked number one in the world, Hingis had her greatest season in 1997 when she won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open and was a finalist in the French Open, all at age 16.

The Swiss native has 40 career singles titles, 36 in doubles and trails only Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova in earnings with more than $18 million (€15 million).

Hingis will next face Nuria Llagostera Vives in the quarter-finals after the Spaniard upset second-seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone 6-3, 6-1.

Top seed and defending champion Patty Schnyder is also through to the third round after beating American qualifier Angela Haynes 6-3, 6-0.