Hingis eyes semis

"Match-wise, to beat Lindsay here in Indian Wells where it probably matters a little bit more than anything else, she lives closer by, probably Grand Slams, that's the tournaments you aim for when you're No.2 or No.3 in the world," said the 25-year-old, playing in just her seventh tournament since her comeback.

"This one I know she takes very seriously. To beat her here, it's great.

And Hingis revealed that her newly-found motivation after her break from tennis helped her in ousting the former world number one.

"I was probably a little more fresh," she said. "Maybe she has the advantage over me that she's still been around for the last three years. Probably I was a little more determined, even more hungry. I ran down a lot of balls, which probably other girls try to overhit her or risk too early."

Russia's Safina booked her clash with Hingis - the first time the players will have met in competition - with a 6-1 6-3 victory over compatriot Anastasia Myskina.