Cat adoption problems

I have just adopted two cats a six year old female and a four year old male into a one bedroom apartment. At first the female was uneasy with the male. She hid under the bed and couch and kept her distance while the male was very easy going. Over a few days, the cats got a little feisty but I don't think it was anything too bad. Although, now the female cat is completely at ease and the male cat is deathly afraid of her. If we do not separate them, they will eventually get into a fight that sounds really bad. There have been a few cuts here and there. I'm not sure if the female is just trying to play or not because she seems to be very adamant about chasing him down. The cats are now separated unless they are supervised. It has been almost two weeks and I feel like he should not be so scared and they should not be fighting as much as they are, and the bottom line is that the male is afraid and hisses and growls and I don't want to have to take either of them back. Any tips or suggestions would greatly be appreciated. I have perused numerous articles and threads and am not sure what to do.

Did you introduce them slowly? I hear that is really the only way to do it

Did you adopt them at the same time? Is she spayed? Is he neutered?

Spayed and neutered and both adopted at the same time. Both are being confined unless they can be supervised.

They are establishing their boundaries with each other. The female will probably rule the roost and the male is learning that. Once they both understand where they are in the pecking order they will get along better. Make sure when you pet them, you take turns petting one first, then the other and change it the next time. Same with food issues, feed separately. Make sure they have their own hidey hole so they can unwind without stress, can be as simple as a box for each of them. They will probably end up as friends, worse case, they will learn to tolorate each other and lead separate lives. I have had success with playing fetch with mine, they both might get so involved in fetching they forget they are near each other. Don't be discouraged it can take months before they find their place in your home. Be consistant with discipline, don't "pick" on one over the other. "Timeouts" are your friend. Good luck.