KITZBUEHEL, July 23: Carlos Costa defeated fellow Spaniard Emilio Alvarez 6-4, 6-2 yesterday to face top seed Thomas Muster in round two of the $535,000 Generali Open.

Alvarez ousted Muster from the Kitzbuehel tournament last year. Today, it will be Costa's turn to see if he can topple the local favourite and world No 5.

``I know Thomas isn't playing so well right now,'' Costa said. But Muster is Muster. In Austria, he's doubly dangerous and besides, he's still the world No 5.''

Last year's winner, Alberto Berasategui of Spain, seeded fifth, faces Stefan Koubek, an improving Austrian who overcame initial nerves and sluggishness to oust David Rikl of the Czech Republic 2-6, 6-1, 7-5.

The only other local left in competition is Gerald Mandl, a ``lucky loser'' entrant into the first round against fellow Austrian Gilbert Schaller, who retired with a right shoulder injury at 2-5 down in the first set.

Maleeva, Martinez advance PALO ALTO: Once a highly touted babe in the tennis woods herself, 22-year-old Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria is worried for 16-year-old world number one Martina Hingis.

Magdalena, who turned pro at the young age of 14 and quickly rose up the ranking charts to end 1995 ranked sixth, prepared for the second-round bout with the world no.1,Hingis, by trouncing Jana Nejedly of Canada 6-0, 6-3 yesterday in the first round of the $450,000 Bank of the West Classic.

Maleeva said Hingis's meteoric rise to the top of the world may be hazardous to her emotional health. Sixth seed Conchita Martinez of Spain also was in action yesterday, sporting a new coach and more aggressive forehand in her 6-3, 6-2 victory over Siobhan Drake Brockman of Australia.

Before coming here, the former Wimbledon champ fired coach Joe Brandi, who had been coaching her since the beginning of the year. Martinez replaced him with veteran coach Gabriel Urpi, the former coach of Arntxa Sanchez Vicraio and Albert Costa.

Bruguera in second round

UMAG: Top-seeded Sergi Burguera led four Spaniards through the opening round of the Umag Croatia Open yesterday.

Bruguera had no trouble trouncing Chile's Gabriel Silberstein, ranked 196th in the world, 6-0, 6-4. No 3 seed Felix Mantilla, another Spaniard, defeated Andrei Cherkasov of Russia, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).

Two of their countrymen advanced when their Italian opponents quit. Carlos Moya had his hands full with Davide Sanguinetti, with the Italian winning the first set 7-5. But, Moya was leading in the second 4-2 when Sanguinetti retired, saying he was exhausted.

Another Italian, Andrea Gaudenzi, also retired citing bronchitis when he was 6-1, 2-1 up against Fernando Vicente of Spain.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.