NEW YORK -- Top-seeded Martina Hingis survived a major scare from old nemesis Iva Majoli on Friday, winning a third-set tiebreaker to reach the round of 16 at the U.S. Open.

Hingis, her No. 1 ranking in jeopardy, was struggling, looking a step slow and a bit out of synch as Majoli opened fast. But Hingis summoned enough to steal a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory.

At first, it seemed like the final of the 1997 French Open all over again, when Majoli gained her only major championship and deprived Hingis of a Grand Slam sweep that year.

After that, injuries sent Majoli's ranking tumbling as low as 466 in April 2000. She built it back to 47 by the Open and looked better than that for a while against Hingis.

The 20-year-old Swiss, who has stayed at No. 1 despite going more than two years since her last Grand Slam tournament victory, seemed in big trouble, especially when Majoli broke her to win the first set.

But Hingis battled back. She squirmed out of trouble, breaking Majoli at 4-4 and winning the second set on her serve. Hingis broke Majoli twice in the first three games of the third set. By then, a blister and sore thigh forced Majoli to request an injury timeout.

Down 0-3 in the third set, Majoli would not go away quietly. Playing the remainder of the match with her right thigh heavily taped, she got those breaks back and another as Hingis served for the match. That forced the tiebreak.

Majoli led 5-4 before Hingis, facing the earliest elimination for a No. 1 seed since Billie Jean King lost in the third round in 1973, won the next three points and the match.

"When you play a player like Iva, there is a little history there from the past," Hingis said. "She has nothing to lose against me. Everyone knows she can play. I mean, she did it four years ago, so why not today?

"Today's match was just not the best I ever played. I won the last point and I'm very happy about that."

Former two-time champion Monica Seles, seeded No. 8, advanced to the fourth round with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Eleni Daniilidou.

Seles used a 104 mph serve and took advantage of 26 unforced errors and seven double faults by Daniilidou.

Seles, who missed the French Open and Wimbledon during five months off to heal from injuries, continued to look fit in her victory, completed in 57 minutes. After finishing the match, Seles went out to hit on the practice courts at the National Tennis Center.

Seles next plays Daja Bedanova who upset No. 12 Meghann Shaughnessy 6-4, 6-1.No. 14 Jelena Dokic also advanced with a 6-4, 7-5 victory against No. 20 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.

Former champion Serena Williams, getting stronger with each match, destroyed U.S. Open newcomer Martina Sucha of Slovakia 6-1, 6-0.

Williams will play Justine Henin in the fourth round. Henin defeated Miroslava Vavrinec 6-3, 6-2 .

Lindsay Davenport easily won her evening match against Angeles Montolio 6-3, 6-2.