Seles sends out smoke signals

But the match, which lasted less than an hour although it actually started on Friday, was interrupted by more rain breaks than the famous Seles’ grunts which accompany her scorching ground-strokes.

And if the rain wasn’t enough, even fire got in on the act when the number-one show-court became engulfed in thick smoke after a nearby tower block went up in flames.

Seles can only meet Hingis or one of the Williams sisters, Venus or Serena, in the final since all three are on the opposite side of the draw.In the five hours play before the stoppage yesterday, Swede Jonas Bjorkman becamethe ninth seed to depart from the men’s event when he threw away a two-sets-to-one lead to go down in five sets to Dutch opponent Jan Siemerink.

Siemerink, 28, scored a 7-6 (8/6) 5-7 2-6 6-4 7-5 win to reach a fourth-round clash with Magnus Larsson of Sweden who defeated Moroccan Hicham Arazi 6-3 6-3 6-2.

How the seeds fared

Men’s singles (3rd round): 12-Tim Henman (Bri) bt Byron Black (Zim) 6-4 6-4 3-6 7-5.

Women’s singles (3rd round): 1-Martina Hingis (Swi) bt Elena Likhovtseva (Rus) 6-2 6-1; Samantha Smith (Bri) bt 8-Conchita Martinez (Spa) 2-6 6-3 7-5; 16-Nathalie Tauziat (Fra) bt Julie Halard-Decugis (Fra) 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 6-4.

2nd round: 5-Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (Spa) bt Magdalena Grzybowska (Pol) 4-6 6-4 6-3

Other results

Men’s singles (3rd round): John Van Lottum (Net) bt Tommy Haas (Ger) 6-3 6-3 6-3; Mark Philippoussis (Aus) bt Daniele Bracciali (Ita) 6-3 6-4 6-4; Magnus Larsson (Swe) bt Hicham Arazi (Mor) 6-3 6-3 6-2; Jason Stoltenberg (Aus) bt Mark Woodforde (Aus) 6-1 3-66-3 3-6 6-3. 2nd round: Francisco Clavet (Spa) bt Guillermo Canas (Arg) 6-7 (2-7) 2-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 6-4.

Women’s singles (2nd round): Chanda Rubin (US) bt Tara Snyder (US) 3-6 7-5 11-9