By Rob Gloster
AP Sports Writer
Monday, June 1, 1998; 3:46 p.m. EDT

PARIS (AP) — Venus Williams slammed the serve at 115 mph, but Ai Sugiyama held up her hand and watched the ball speed past. The umpire ordered the point replayed.

Williams glared at her opponent with a look that seemed to scream, ``Are you ready now?'' Then the 17-year-old American responded with a 118 mph service winner.

That may be the question for top-seeded Martina Hingis as she prepares to play Williams in the quarterfinals of the French Open on Tuesday, their fifth encounter already this year.

The rivalry between Hingis and Williams is becoming one of the best in women's sports. Though it evokes hints of the Chris Evert-Martina Navratilova duels of the 1980s, it has the potential to become much more bitter off the court.

Hingis becomes downright haughty when discussing Williams. She says Williams has not yet earned the right to consider herself part of a great rivalry.

``Everybody else is trying to make rivalries against me,'' she said. ``Venus, she won Key Biscayne, but that's not a Grand Slam.''

Williams, seeded eighth at Roland Garros in just her fourth tournament on clay, responded diplomatically when told of Hingis' comments.

``I think that she's playing good tennis, and she has every right to say what she wants to,'' Williams said.

Hingis holds a 5-2 record against Williams, including a 6-0, 6-4 win in the final of the U.S. Open last summer in their only previous Grand Slam meeting.

They are 2-2 this year, with Williams winning on hard courts in Sydney and in the semifinals of the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne. But Hingis won their only career encounter on clay, capturing the final of the Italian Open in three sets in mid-May.

``It was a good victory for me there to beat her in three sets in the final of a big tournament,'' Hingis said. ``I hope she will remember that, too.''

Hingis and Williams have eased through the first four rounds of the French Open. Hingis has lost just 14 games while averaging 56 minutes per victory. Williams has lost 13 games and averaged 58 minutes per match.

Hingis said she has every reason to feel she has an edge over Williams.

``Well, why shouldn't I?'' she asked. ``I'm No. 1, I've won four Grand Slams. I have the self-confidence.''

While Hingis is the master strategist, moving opponents around the court with precise groundstrokes until she has set up a winning shot, Williams relies on power and athleticism.

Those contrasting styles bring back memories of Evert, the baseline strategist, and Navratilova, the powerful serve-and-volleyer. They enjoyed their on-court duels and an off-court friendship.

But the Hingis-Williams matchup is not a friendly rivalry and, if Hingis is to be believed, not yet even a rivalry.

All that could change on Tuesday.