One vs. two
Davenport, Hingis set to face off in Adidas final
Posted: Friday January 15, 1999 10:00 AM
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Davenport has been dogged by suggestions that she is just keeping the top spot warm until Hingis decides to focus on tennis again AP |
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Martina Hingis wiped the sleep from her
eyes just in time to book a summit meeting against No.1-ranked
Lindsay Davenport in Saturday's final of the Adidas International.
The No. 2-ranked Hingis complained about being forced to start her
semifinal at 10 a.m. local time on Friday and needed
some late brilliance to get her through after a two-hour battle.
Davenport ended the fighting run of Steffi Graf, who is coming back
after serious knee and wrist injuries, by winning their semi 6-2,
7-5.
Hingis beat Barbara Schett 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) after the No.
24-ranked Austrian squandered clear chances to win the match.
In the men's draw, American Todd Martin advanced to Saturday's
final by beating Thomas Muster 6-2, 6-1. Top seed Alex Corretja of
Spain beat defending champion Karol Kucera 7-5, 6-4. No.3-ranked
Corretja broke in the 12th game of the first set and the 10th of
the second.
Schett was ahead 6-5 and serving in the third set before a
couple of timid shots gave Hingis a way back in.
Schett got ahead 5-3 in the tiebreaker but again succumbed to
Hingis' after the Swiss star chased down a wide, angled shot and
placed it perfectly.
"I'm not such an early bird," said Hingis. "I didn't move my
best today, I probably should have woken up earlier but I don't
understand why we had to start so early."
Hingis, bidding to take back the No. 1 ranking she lost to
Davenport last year, tipped another close match between the pair in
Saturday's final. Davenport is dogged by suggestions that she is
just warming the top place until Hingis decides to focus again.
But Hingis, who spent 80 weeks as No. 1 before U.S. Open champion
Davenport took over in October, gives the American due respect.
"She's the best and you always want to play against the better
ones. You have nothing to lose against them and you can see where
you are," Hingis said.
"We pretty much both know what's going to happen, whoever
manages to play better is going to win."
Hingis lost the U.S. Open to Davenport but has won her two
matches since then, including the final of the season-ending Chase
Championships. They played last week in the Hopman Cup teams
competition and Hingis won, but that exhibition result does not
feature in the Swiss player's 7-6 edge over the American o the WTA
Tour.
With the top two tuning up for next week's Australian Open in
Melbourne, Davenport played down the significance of Saturday's
result.
"You know it's so close to Melbourne, we're both equal
favorites and winning one match or tournament doesn't make you too
much of a favorite over the other," Davenport said.
"If I win the tournament I'll be going to Melbourne feeling
great but even if I lose I'll be going there feeling very good."
Graf had used her fighting qualities to edge past Serena and
Venus Williams in her previous two matches, but found the going
much tougher against Davenport's relentless accuracy.
Graf said she could not choose the better player between
Davenport and Hingis, but said the American had made significant
improvements over the past 12 months.
"She's taking a lot more risks and moving well," said Graf.
"You can see the confidence in her game.
"She was definitely in control and played some incredible
shots."
Davenport said she was comfortable about playing attacking
tennis and would take the match up to Hingis Saturday.
"I'm going to have to try break serve a lot, attack her second
serves when I get them and return her first serves deep,"
Davenport said.
"Against Martina it's hard to hold because she returns so well
and you really have to break a lot to ease the pressure. I need to
be aggressive and I need to be moving well."
Graf was again troubled by the stomach illness which nagged her
in the wins against the Williams sisters. She looked haggard and
beyond her 29 years after the match but said she thought she could
handle seven matches in a fortnight at the Australian Open.
"I was just too tired today and I wasn't moving very well,"
she said.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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