Hingis stays on track

Hingis: First woman into the Kremlin quarter-finals

Martina Hingis beat Sandra Kleinova to reach the quarter-finals of the Kremlin Cup on Wednesday.

The Swiss top seed fell behind in the first set in Moscow but finally broke the Czech qualifier's serve to prevail 7-5.

Hingis then found her range, racing to a 5-1 lead before clinching the second set 6-2.

"She already played four matches here, in the first round and qualifiers, while it was my first match here so it took me a while to get going," said Hingis.

Safin: Powerful game

"Besides I have never played her before and I didn't expect her to play that good.

"I was fortunate my first serve was working and it got me out of trouble in the first set."

Compatriot Marc Rosset, meanwhile, edged Nenad Zimonjic in the men's draw.

The big-serving Swiss lost the first of two tie-breaks, but rallied to win 6-4 6-7 (4/7) 7-6 (13/11).

Russia's Marat Safin had to work hard to beat Max Mirnyi, of Belarus.

Huber out

But the second seed came through his first-round match in three tight sets, 5-7 6-4 6-4.

He was joined in the second round by Argentina's Guillermo Canas and David Malbandian and by Germany's Tommy Haas.

In remaining women's first round action, Italy's Silvia Farina Elia breezed past Slovakia's Martina Sucha 6-3 6-2.

Magdalena Maleeva, of Bulgaria, ousted Germany's Anke Huber 6-3 7-5, while Austrian Barbara Schett put out Russia's Elena Likhovtseva 6-1 6-4.