Two in a row
Hingis celebrates return to No. 1 with Pan Pacific title
Posted: Sunday February 07, 1999 10:18 PM
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Hingis has won 14 of her 15 matches this year. AP |
TOKYO (AP) -- Top-ranked Martina Hingis of Switzerland beat Amanda Coetzer of South Africa 6-2, 6-1 in the Toray Pan Pacific Open final Sunday.
The Swiss teenager, fresh from winning her third straight Australian Open title last week, dominated throughout, pounding winners into the corners in a one-sided match.
"I'm happy to be the No. 1 again, and I'm happy to win here again," said Hingis. She previously won the tournament two years ago.
"I'll keep going I guess. I just want to be the best," she said.
On Saturday, Hingis regained the world's top singles ranking after beating Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals.
WTA, the world's governing body for the women's professional tennis tour, is scheduled to release a weekly ranking Monday.
Hingis had been ranked second to Lindsay Davenport of the United States since last Oct. 12.
Hingis first climbed to the No. 1 rank March 31, 1997, surging ahead of Steffi Graf of Germany.
Davenport, a semifinalist in the Australian Open last week, was eliminated in the quarterfinals Friday by Coetzer.
In her 15 matches played so far this year, Hingis has won 14. The 15th-ranked Coetzer now is 7-3.
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