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 U.S. Open Notebook Hingis consolation prizes soothe disappointment
Posted: Sunday September 13, 1998 08:03 PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- Martina Hingis got her Grand Slam consolation prize in doubles. Less than 24 hours after her loss to Lindsay Davenport in the U.S. Open women's singles final, Hingis beat Davenport in the doubles final to complete a Grand Slam sweep. Hingis and Wimbledon singles champion Jana Novotna defeated Davenport and Natasha Zvereva 6-3, 6-3. It took 64 minutes for the victory and the winners shared $320,000, compared with the $400,000 Hingis received as the singles runner-up. "I was kind of making history today for myself," Hingis said. "It's just nice. ... At least you have a nice trip back home." Novotna, who lost to Hingis in the singles semifinals, said her partner showed she was "more professional" than Davenport by playing hard in the doubles final. "It's pretty obvious that Lindsay was tired and she was satisfied with her singles victory," Novotna said. "And Martina was very professional to come back and play like that. It's very hard." Hingis and Novotna combined to win the French Open and Wimbledon before coming to New York. Hingis paired with Mirjana Lucic to win the Australian Open as a wild-card entrant last January. Although known more for her singles success, Hingis has won more doubles titles than singles -- 21-19. She has won nine titles this year with four different partners. In 1997, she won six with five different partners. Davenport and Zvereva, meanwhile, completed a negative Slam, losing in all four doubles finals this year. Hingis continues marchAlthough she doesn't turn 18 until September 30, Hingis is already into double figures in Grand Slams. She has won four singles and six doubles titles since winning the 1996 Wimbledon doubles with Helena Sukova. Hingis has been in the finals of either singles or doubles of all the Grand Slams the last two years -- winning singles and doubles at the 1997 and 1998 Australian Opens. She still has a long way to go in overall Grand Slam victories, though. Margaret Smith Court of Australia won 62 titles -- 24 singles, 19 doubles and 19 mixed doubles crowns. Martina Navratilova is in second place wih 56 Grand Slam tournament victories. Davenport closing inDavenport is closing in on the No. 1 ranking in women's tennis. In the new WTA rankings this week, Davenport will trail Martina Hingis by 146 points -- the closest Davenport has gotten to the top spot this year. Hingis started the year 2,356 points ahead. If Davenport overtakes Hingis, she will be the first American-born woman to hold the No. 1 ranking since Chris Evert last held the top spot November 24, 1985. Davenport will have a chance to overtake Hingis at the beginning of October in Filderstadt, Germany, a tournament that Hingis won last year. Jelena Dokic of Australia won the girls' title, topping Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia 6-4, 6-2. The top-seeded Srebotnik had won the Wimbledon girls crown. On the other end of the age scale, Vijay Amitraj and Jose Higueras defeated American Davis Cup captain Tom Gullikson and Dick Stockton in the men's legends doubles 6-4, 6-4, while Betsy Nagelsen and Wendy Turnbull beat Gigi Fernandez and Betty Stove in the women's legends final 7-6 (7-5), 6-3. Last year, Fernandez was still playing in the main tournament, losing in the doubles final.
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