SYDNEY, Jan 11: Two of the leading Australian Open contenders, Martina Hingis and Serena Williams, suffered injury scares at the Sydney International tennis tournament Friday.

Hingis hurt her left leg during her 7-5 4-6 6-2 semifinal win over Kim Clijsters, forcing her to pull out of Friday’s doubles final, while Williams retired near the end of the first set of her semifinal against fellow American Meghann Shaughnessy.

Williams rolled her right ankle in the fourth game of the match and continued playing after having the injury strapped. But the world number six decided not to continue after the score reached 5-4 in Shaughnessy’s favour.

The withdrawal of Williams means Hingis will play Shaughnessy in Saturday’s final, although the 21-year-old Swiss remains in some doubt after pulling out of the doubles final where she was to partner Anna Kournikova against Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs.

Hingis eventually seized control of the match as she raced to a 5-0 lead in the third set before her left thigh suddenly started to trouble her.

Roger Federer kept alive hopes of a Swiss double when he beat third-seeded American teenager Andy Roddick 7-5 6-4 to reach the men’s final.

Results: (prefix number denotes seeding):

Women’s singles semifinals: 8-Meghann Shaughnessy (U.S.) beat 3-Serena Williams (U.S.) 5-4 retired; 2-Martina Hingis (Switzerland) beat 3-Kim Clijsters (Belgium) 7-5 4-6 6-2

Men’s semifinals:

2-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat 3-Andy Roddick (U.S.) 7-6 (7-3) 6-4; Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) beat Max Mirnyi (Belarus) 6-4 6-4

AUCKLAND (New Zealand): Results from the Heineken Open men’s tournament