Novotna Is Trying to Remove Grass Stain

Every year Jana Novotna returns to Wimbledon is another year she must return to her career’s most humiliating chapter, one that has superseded all other information remembered about her.

Novotna’s name does not invoke thoughts of the game’s most complete player, which she can be, nor has her made-for-grass style brought her any titles on the surface.

Whether it’s fair, Novotna is known for blowing five match points in the 1993 Wimbledon final against Steffi Graf and, after her loss, crumpling into the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent and crying.

Even as she prepared to play Martina Hingis--No. 1 in the world--in today’s Wimbledon final, Novotna had to answer questions about 1993.

“Well, I have talked about it a lot,” Novotna, 28, said evenly. “I think that in ’93 it is still hard to prove not only to myself, but to everybody, that I am a good player. I really wanted to do well and sometimes I wanted it just too much, and I was never able to play my best tennis.

“Over the years, my outlook toward tennis has changed a lot. I don’t mean from the point of view that I’m not working hard or that I don’t want to win. . . . But I have realized that tennis is not everything, that there is a life outside of tennis and that it is not the most important thing in life.”

That is far too much philosophy for the 16-year-old Hingis, for whom appearing in the final of a Grand Slam event seems expected.

“It’s another final at a Grand Slam tournament,” Hingis said, calmly assessing the final. “Jana is such a good player on grass, I don’t have to give her too many chances to get to the net and play a lot of passing shots.”

Hingis is appearing in her third consecutive Grand Slam tournament final. She won her first title by defeating Mary Pierce in Australia and lost to Iva Majoli in the French Open final last month.

Novotna, who pulled out of Friday’s doubles final because of a sore right thigh, also has been in two finals at Grand Slam events but has lost both.

“We haven’t played that many times,” Novotna said of Hingis. “Definitely, it’s going to be an interesting contrast, No. 1 player in the world, and very young talented player, against me, a grass-court player. I think we will see two contrasts of styles and I think that always brings nice tennis. . . . It’s going to be my second time, I’m a bit older and I will enjoy it more.”

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Wimbledon Women’s Final

JANA NOVOTNA (Seeded No. 3)

* Background: 28 . . . Right-handed . . . Born and lives in Brno, Czech Republic.

* Grand Slam facts: Playing in her 12th consecutive Wimbledon . . . Reached the 1993 Wimbledon final, losing to Steffi Graf and cried on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent after the match . . . Reached the final of the 1991 Australian Open.

* There’s more: Will reach career-high ranking of No. 2 after Wimbledon . . . Lost three sets in six matches en route to Wimbledon final . . . Won Madrid title this year . . . Has won 16 career singles titles, 64 career doubles titles . . . Won 1996 Olympic bronze medal in singles . . . Won 1996 and 1988 Olympic silver medals in doubles with Helena Sukova.

* Style of play: Serve and volley.

* Coach: Former tour player Hana Mandlikova, since 1990.

*

MARTINA HINGIS (Seeded No. 1)

* Background: 16 . . . Right-handed . . . Born in Kosice, Slovakia . . . Lives in Trubbach, Switzerland . . . Swiss citizenship.

* Grand Slam facts: Won first Grand Slam singles title at 1997 Australian Open, becoming the youngest woman in the 20th century to win a Grand Slam singles title at 16 years 3 months 26 days and the first Swiss woman to win a Grand Slam singles title . . . Was youngest Wimbledon champion when at 15 years 282 days she won 1996 doubles title with Helena Sukova.

* There’s more: At 12, became youngest Grand Slam junior titlist, winning the 1993 French Open junior singles title. . . . Won 1994 French Open and Wimbledon junior singles titles.

* Style of play: Baseliner; backhand is best shot.

* Coach: Her mother, Melanie Molitor.