Golmard is forced to battle in Bucharest

Jerome Golmard, the sixth seeded Frenchman, and the unseeded Christophe Rochus both advanced to the quarter-finals of the Gelsor Open clay tournament in Bucharest yesterday.

Golmard needed three sets to beat the Spaniard Jacobo Diaz 6-4, 2-6, 7-6. Rochus won a tight match 7-6, 6-4 to knock out Gabriel Trifu of Romania.

In the first round of the President's Cup in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the defending champion Marat Safin easily beat Noam Okun of Israel 6-4, 6-2. Meanwhile, Safin's Russian compatriot Yevgeny Kafelnikov beat Germany's Lars Burgsmuller 6-4, 7-6.

Martina Hingis, the world No 1, will defend her Swisscom Challenge title against the Americans Jennifer Capriati and Serena Williams, the organisers said yesterday.

However, by the time the tournament begins on 14 October, Capriati, the world No 2 and the winner of the French and Australian Opens, could have replaced Hingis at the top of the rankings.

Six other players currently ranked in the top 10 have also confirmed their participation: the world No 6 Amelie Mauresmo, of France, the US Open finalist Serena Williams (No 7), the Wimbledon finalist Justine Henin, of Belgium, (No 8) and the Frenchwoman Nathalie Tauziat (No 10).

Anna Kournikova, ranked 20, is also expected to compete in Zurich. The Russian will partner Hingis in the doubles as she attempts another comeback from a lengthy injury lay-off with a stress-fracture in her left foot.