Federer, Hingis advance in Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- As Roger Federer sees it, there's room for more than one Swiss star at the Australian Open.
On a day when heat proved the most formidable opponent -- temperatures hit 104 degrees -- Federer advanced to the round of 16 with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory over 30th-seeded Max Mirnyi of Belarus.
He'll have some company in Martina Hingis. Three years out of retirement, Hingis clearly seems to be on her game, her latest victory a 6-4, 6-1 decision over Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic.
Federer, top ranked and going for his second Australian Open crown, is happy to see someone else carry the Swiss flag in the season's first major.
"Fantastic. I'm extremely happy she's back," he said. "I really hope she can go a long way. Being a Swiss, I'm really excited."
Three straight wins
Hingis won three Australian titles. Now, after an extended absence while she recuperated from foot and heel injuries, she has won her first three matches in her Grand Slam return.
She remains a long shot for the title. Not so Federer, who had only 10 unforced errors and faced only one break point in his victory over Mirnyi.
He finished off his opponent in under two hours in the last night match on Rod Laver Arena, completing a day that started with Hingis racing through her third-round match before the scorching sun kicked in.
Federer next plays Tommy Haas, who beat him in Australia in 2002 and, more recently, in an exhibition last week at Kooyong.
The temperature was nudging 95 when Hingis broke Benesova for the sixth time to seal her match in 66 minutes. It soon got hotter.
Organizers invoked the extreme heat policy for a second day, suspending matches on outside courts for more than five hours as the temperature topped 104.
Hingis made sure she took shelter in a hurry, remembering what can happen Down Under in the noonday sun. She quit tennis in 2002 after making six consecutive finals in Australia -- winning the first three and losing the next three.
In her last final, in '02, Hingis wasted four match points against Jennifer Capriati on a fierce summer's day, wilting in the heat.
Hingis is trying to conserve as much energy as she can. She has dropped only 10 games in three rounds and has spent only 3 hours, 3 minutes on the court.
Next up is unseeded Australian Samantha Stosur and a possible quarterfinal looms against second-seeded Kim Clijsters.
Michaella Krajicek felt it more than anyone, quitting after losing the opening set 6-2 to third-seeded Amelie Mauresmo.
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