HINGIS SHOWS TALK IS CHEAP; DESPITE FATHER'S PREDICTION, SERENA WILLIAMS GETS BURIED.

Byline: Joe Stevens Long Beach Press-Telegram 

Don't talk trash about Martina Hingis before playing her in a match.

That's what Richard Williams should have learned Friday when Hingis beat his daughter, Serena Williams, 6-4, 6-1 in the quarterfinals of the Acura Classic at Manhattan Country Club.

On Tuesday evening, Richard Williams - excited that Serena won her first-round match over Larisa Neiland 6-0, 6-0 - said on a local TV station that if Hingis and his daughter met, Serena would ``kick her (tail).''

Hingis, ranked first on the Corel WTA tour, saw the telecast and said it gave her extra motivation. ``He should sometimes watch his mouth, watch what he's saying,'' Hingis said. ``He won't be saying that for a while.''

The trash talking, which is becoming more prevalent on the women's tennis tour, continued on Hingis' part in a postmatch news conference. Hingis did not appear angry with Richard or Serena Williams, smiling as she spouted many words on various subjects, including Serena's place in the Williams family, which includes tennis star and sister Venus.

``She's like the black sheep in the family,'' Hingis said. ``Everyone is focused on Venus right now because she's No. 5 in the world. . . . Now, she got the opportunity to play and had to face me, so that's kind of bad luck for her.''

Despite Hingis' statements, she and Serena Williams each said that they are friends. Hingis added that she was not angry at her opponent.

``I don't think it's Serena's fault, all their talk about her,'' she said.

Serena Williams refused to answer questions about Hingis' extra motivation. Richard Williams attended the postgame news conference but did not field a question about his statement.

Serena Williams said her inconsistency keyed Hingis' win. On Wednesday, Williams said that she could beat Hingis, but that depended on who attended the match - a good Serena or bad Serena.

When asked which Serena played Hingis, she said, ``I think this is a serious press conference, so the serious Serena showed up.''

Hingis agreed that Williams was hurt by inconsistency. Williams' shots and intensity wavered.

``She's very aggressive from the first shot, but after the first two shots, she slows down,'' Hingis said. ``She was like a treasure box. She'd hit a great point, then miss two. You didn't know what to expect from her.''

Williams, 16, was playing in her first tournament in six weeks, after taking time off to attend summer school. She was more consistent in the first set. Her inconsistency became obvious near the end of the match, when she missed two overheads in the final two games. One of the misses was on a set point, so Hingis won the 63-minute match on a gift. She has beaten Williams in both of their meetings.

But the 20th-ranked Williams still impressed the top-rated player.

``I'm not as strong as her,'' Hingis said. ``I'm not a bodybuilder like her. She can go boxing. She's a big girl.''

And the saga between the big girl and top player probably will not end when they leave Los Angeles.

``I definitely can see this developing as a rivalry,'' Williams said. ``We're going to meet many more times. She's not going anywhere and I'm not going anywhere.''

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2 Photos

Photo: (1--Color) Martina Hingis, motivated by the bold talk of her opponent's father, beat Serena Williams 6-4, 6-1.

(2) Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario makes a return during a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Elena Tatarkova on Friday.

Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press