Hingis eyes world No. 1 spot
Posted: Saturday January 30, 1999 02:11 PM
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Hingis: "I always do well in Australia, it's sort of becoming my territory now." AP |
MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) -- Martina Hingis has set her sights on becoming world No. 1 again after winning the Australian Open for a third successive time on Saturday.
She outclassed unseeded Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo 6-2 6-3 on Melbourne Park's centre court.
Hingis's victory left her tantalizingly close to world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport and the 18-year-old Swiss says she is determined to return to the top.
"It would have been great if I could have done it here but it doesn't matter," Hingis said.
"There's always next week or the tournament after that. If I continue to play well it will come."
Hingis became the youngest No. 1 in history shortly after winning her first Australian Open in 1997. She also won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and finished second at the French Open that year.
She won the Australian Open again in 1998, becoming the youngest player in history to defend a grand slam title, but relinquished her top ranking in October after failing to win another of the major titles.
"I always have a good start in Australia so I hope I can keep it going this time," she said.
"I hope this year that I can learn from what happened last year."
Hingis provided tennis fans with another wonderful exhibition of her skills.
Mauresmo tried her hardest but was unable to match Hingis on the big points. Hingis gobbled up every opportunity that came her way and offered Mauresmo nothing in return.
Mauresmo hit the ball much harder than Hingis but it was where Hingis placed it that mattered.
She pushed the balls to the corner and attacked Mauresmo's backhand. While Mauresmo was hesitant about approaching the net Hingis charged in without fear, challenging Mauresmo to try to pass her.
The net effect of Hingis' tactics was to throw doubt into Mauresmo's mind. When she edged forward, Hingis hit down the line. When she stayed back, Hingis dropped it in short.
Looking relaxed in the big-match atmosphere, Hingis was always more aggressive, especially on the big points.
She won the first set with an ace, her only one of the match.
After trading early service breaks in the second set, Hingis made the defining move when she broke for a 4-3 lead. She then came back from 0-40 on her own service to lead 5-3 with five successive points, including an inch perfect drop shot from the baseline.
"That was so lucky," Hingis admitted. "But when you're 0-40 behind you can afford to just go for it."
But Mauresmo, who saved two match points before winning her first round match against American Corina Morariu and beat Davenport to reach the final, refused to give in, saving six match points in the final game before her luck finally ran out when she netted a backhand volley.
"The score pretty much said it all," Hingis said. "I made the important points when it was really needed.
"I was just more experienced than her and that helped me a lot."
The win also gave Hingis, who teamed with Anna Kournikova on Friday to win the doubles, her third "double-double" at the Australian Open.
"This is six in a row, so it's a growing family," Hingis said after receiving the traditional toy kangaroo handed to singles and doubles champions at the Open.
"I always do well in Australia, it's sort of becoming my territory now."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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