Hingis Sets Up a Rematch With Sharapova

Martina Hingis took another strong step in her return to tennis, defeating sixth-seeded Anastasia Myskina , 6-4, 6-3 yesterday, to set up a quarterfinal with Maria Sharapova at the Dubai Women's Open in the United Arab Emirates.

Sharapova, seeded third, routed Vera Dushevina , 6-1, 6-0. Hingis beat Sharapova in straight sets in Tokyo this month.

"I do not have revenge on my mind, but I don't like losing to the same player twice in a row," Sharapova said.

Top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo beat qualifier Henrieta Nagyova of Slovakia, 6-3, 6-1, and second-seeded Lindsay Davenport blanked Elena Likhovtseva of Russia, 6-0, 6-0.

Fourth-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne , playing her first match since retiring from the Australian Open final because of stomach pain, labored to beat qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko , 6-4, 7-5.

Hingis ended a three-year retirement last month and has risen to a No. 50 ranking in just four tournaments.

"I don't look at it as a comeback anymore," Hingis said. "It is more like the second part of my career now." . . .

Boris Becker won damages of $1.4 million from a German newspaper that used his image for an advertising campaign without his permission.

A Munich court ordered the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung to pay the six-time Grand Slam winner for using a picture of him on an ad for its launch in 2001.

· SOCCER: Forwards Taylor Twellman and Josh Wolff , midfielders Clint Dempsey and Kerry Zavagnin , former D.C. United midfielder Bobby Convey and defender Todd Dunivant were among 20 players picked by U.S. Coach Bruce Arena for next week's exhibition game against Poland.

Arena selected 11 Europe-based players and nine from Major League Soccer to be on the roster for the March 1 game in Kaiserslautern, Germany. He said not to read too much into his selections.

Arena plans to announce his 23-man World Cup roster in April.

· COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett pleaded not guilty to charges that he flashed a gun at two people behind a bar on New Year's Day and took a cell phone.

Prosecutors allowed Clarett to enter his plea on robbery charges Tuesday with the clerk's office in Columbus, Ohio, avoiding his arraignment in court scheduled for tomorrow, Duane Williams , deputy clerk for Franklin County Common Pleas Court, said yesterday.

Clarett got into a sport utility vehicle with two men after he was identified by the bar owner, who happened to come out into the alley, police said. No one was injured.

-- From News Services