Kafelnikov teaches Haas vital lesson

Yet Haas muffed his big chance when he mishit a volley, double-faulted and made two more backhand errors to hand the service break back to Kafelnikov, who broke him again in the fifth game for good measure to take control of the set.

The fierce-hitting German had another chance at 30-40 in the sixth game of the third set, only for someimpetuous forehands to let the wily Russian off the hook and hold his serve.

Haas flung his racket to the court in anger and was fortunate not to get a code violation from the chair umpire. “He has to learn and I’m sure he will,” said Kafelnikov of his 20-year-old opponent. Haas took little notice of Kafelnikov’s advice and said it was more down to luck than learning to play the big points.

Kafelnikov, coached by Larry Stefanski who helped Marcelo Rios to last year’s final, said he was disappointed the semi-final was played under an enclosed stadium roof due to rain. “Tommy is known as a good indoor player and he did beat me indoors once before in Lyon and I thought the conditions would suit him today,” said the 24-year-old Russian.

Enqvist holds a 4-2 record over Kafelnikov and has won their last two encounters heading into the final. Martina Hingis won her fifth consecutive Grand Slam women’s doubles title when she teamed with Anna Kournikova to win the Australian Open title here on Friday. Thethird seeds beat top seeds Lindsay Davenport and Natasha Zvereva to win theone hour 12 minute final 7-5, 6-3.

Hingis won last year’s Australian Open doubles with Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic and then teamed with Jana Novotna to win the French, Wimbledon and the US titles. It was 17-year-old Kournikova’s first Grand Slam success.Hingis is to play unseeded Amelie Mauresmo of France in Saturday’s singles final after winning the title here for the last two years.

Results (prefix denotes seedings)

Men Singles (semi-finals): 10-Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Rus) bt Tommy Haas (Ger) 6-3, 6-4, 7-5; Thomas Enqvist (Swe) bt Nocolas lapentti (Ecu) 6-3, 7-5, 6-1.Women Doubles (final): 3-Martina Hingis (Swi)/ Anna Kournikova (Rus) bt 1-Lindsay Davenport (U S)/ Natasha Zvereva (Bel) 7-5, 6-3.