Hingis in cruise control

World number one Martina Hingis crushed Anke Huber 6-2 60 at Flushing Meadows yesterday, taking the final 12 games to cruise into the semi-finals for a fourth consecutive year.

The 18-year-old Swiss star advanced to face either third seed Venus Williams or Austrian 12th seed Barbara Schett for a berth in the final. "I lost the first two and then won 12 straight games. I feel pretty good about that," said Hingis. "My expectations are pretty high, and everyone wants you to win. I don't want to miss anything at the US Open."

On a windy and overcast day when the roar of airplanes overhead added to the distractions, Hingis overcame early nerves to win in 57 minutes and raise her career record to 9-1 against Huber.

"I was very nervous going on court," she admitted. "I didn't know what to expect from Anke and I was playing against the wind too. It was very shaky there."

Huber, in her first US Open quarter-final after 10 attempts, broke Hingis after holding for a 20 lead. But then came the drubbing for the German world number 27, who made 39 enforced errors and won only four of 16 break-points, failing on five in one game.

"She just didn't miss anything," said Huber. "I thought she might have some trouble with the conditions. But she didn't make any easy mistakes, or any mistakes at all. It was very difficult for me."

Meanwhile, Cedric Pioline has learned a lot in the six years since he reached the final, and one of the things he's learned is not to let other people's predictions of doom bother him.

So Yevgeny Kafelnikov's declaration that only three players have a shot at the title - himself, Richard Krajicek and Andre Agassi - don't matter to Pioline.

Nor does the 30-year-old Frenchman buy into Kafelnikov's claim that at the age of 22 he's looking at one of his last chances to win the US Open.

"I'm enjoying to play tennis," Pioline said in the French-inflected English that so charmed the New York crowds when he made his improbable run to the final here in 1993.

"I don't care what the people are saying about 30-years-old, 25, 35. It's not my problem."

Back in 1993, Pioline fell in straight sets to Pete Sampras in the final here. Sampras also beat him in the Wimbledon final in 1997.

"It's a long time ago," Pioline said with a laugh, adding that he might not be a much better player now, but he certainly had a better understanding of his game.

"I know better what I can do or what I cannot do," he said. "So it's more comfortable for me because I have experience. If I'm 30 years old and I don't have experience, I have a problem."

It has been an historic US Open for Pioline already. He became the first man in US Open history to defeat the defending champion in the first round when Pat Rafter had to retire while trailing in the fifth set with a shoulder injury. In the second round, Pioline defeated qualifier Lars Burgsmuller and in the third he defeated qualifier Peter Wessels. He said he was more uncomfortable taking the court against the qualifiers than Rafter.

"I knew I was playing well the last few weeks and since Wimbledon," said Pioline. But even with the victory over Rafter under his belt, Pioline said the qualifiers were a tricky proposition. "Playing a qualifier is not always easy, because these guys are very hungry and they want to beat you very bad," he said.

Pioline understands that appetite. His near misses have only fueled his desire for a Grand Slam title. "Win a Grand Slam, it's a dream," he said.