Youth Is Served by Hingis at Open

The future of women’s tennis did not present itself to the establishment of the women’s game with humility and obsequious remarks Monday during the fourth round of the U.S. Open. Rather, the next generation brashly sought to usurp its elders, with mixed results.

Already a veteran of the tour at 15, Martina Hingis of Switzerland upset former champion Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4. The other highly regarded 15-year-old, Anna Kournikova of Russia, was chastened by defending champion Steffi Graf. The top-seeded Graf had little trouble with the qualifier, winning, 6-2, 6-1.

Hingis and Kournikova both exhibited the fearlessness and recklessness of youth. And its energy. Hingis is the only player in the tournament still alive in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

Each is considered to be the future of the women’s game, but talked about it in different contexts. Hingis is confident but well mannered and plays with great intelligence. She is one of only three players to beat Graf this year and, while physically undeveloped, Hingis is mature and steady.

Kournikova is the opposite. She’s physically developed, blond and attractive and, when she joins the tour full-time next year, likely to be marketed to within an inch of her life. Discovered by an American sports agent at age 8 in Moscow, Kournikova was shipped off to Nick Bollettieri’s tennis boot camp by the time she was 9.

Hingis was poised and patient during Monday’s match, in which she was hardly the favorite. The third-seeded Sanchez Vicario is the highest-ranked player to be eliminated from this year’s Open.

With the Fed Cup final against the United States still ahead of her, Sanchez Vicario is nearing the end of a difficult late season. Prior to the Open, she was the runner-up in the last five tournaments in which she played.

Sanchez Vicario broke Hingis’ serve to open the match, then went the entire set without holding serve. She opened the second set by winning her serve for the first time in the match.

The Spaniard was alarmingly off target in the first set, committing 19 unforced errors to Hingis’ four. It may have been the worst set the steady Sanchez Vicario has ever played.

“The first set, I was not on the court at all,” she said.

Sanchez Vicario might have clung to the memory of the only other time the two had played, a match in which Hingis won the first set, 6-0, then lost the match. The actual outcome is not likely to be a memory she’ll cling to in the future.

Graf had little patience for the impatient Kournikova, who may be the only pro to play faster than Graf. She’s definitely a girl in a hurry.

Kournikova just turned 15 and already has a reputation as a hellion. Bollettieri claims he’s cautioned the teenager to slow down, but she appears not to be listening.

At the Indian Wells tournament earlier this year, the then-14-year-old was a regular visitor to the hotel bar, apparently having no trouble passing for someone much older. She has also been keeping company with Russian hockey player Sergi Fedorov, who plays for the Detroit Red Wings. The 26-year-old is currently in New York, playing in the World Cup.

Bollettieri said Kournikova is well aware of her talent and her looks and he strives to keep her ego deflated. Recently at practice she was behaving badly and, he says, he ordered her to shag balls for other players. Kournikova was angered and when she finished and returned to service drills, she smacked 15 consecutive serves into the net.

“She thinks she’s a little princess,” Bollettieri said.

She has been turning heads here for her scant attire. On court she wears a brief skirt and a cropped top that appears designed to fly up. Off court, Kournikova prefers revealing and/or tight clothes and there is a visible stir when she walks though the players’ lounge.

Graf was asked about Kournikova’s provocative clothing and often haughty attitude.

“I’d better not say anything now,” Graf said, laughing. “Even if she has that kind of attitude, I don’t think that is really what’s within her. Maybe that is a bit much, but I think it’s good because she can show it. I mean, she definitely needs to pay attention to being a normal girl, there’s no question about that.”