Hingis Experiences Another Major Win

Martina Hingis is always thinking, experimenting and learning on the court, remembering what worked in 1997 and what was not so successful in 1998.

The losses and the lessons came together with her Grand Slam experience, as the second-seeded Hingis defeated unseeded Amelie Mauresmo of France, 6-2, 6-3, in 67 minutes here today in the Australian Open final, winning on her seventh match point.

At 18, Hingis became the seventh woman to have won the Australian Open three consecutive times. That notable group includes Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles. And this was her fifth Grand Slam singles championship. Hingis has appeared in seven finals, losing at the 1997 French Open and U.S. Open in September.

“I always do well here in Australia, so I was kind of expecting [it],” she said. “This is my surface . . . how do you say it . . . my territory. I’m just probably a different player here. I hope I can keep it up the whole season.”

The brash Swiss teenager, who will remain No. 2 in the world behind Lindsay Davenport, also may have learned something off the court. Two days ago, she made a disparaging remark in German about Mauresmo’s gender--and denied it the next day. This was coupled with innocent remarks from Davenport, who spoke about Mauresmo’s powerful game and powerful build.

So, what should have been the most exciting time of Mauresmo’s 19-year-old life turned into something of the nightmare, as she and her girlfriend became the fodder of tabloid headlines and TV stakeouts in Australia the last two days and the target of a popular satirical puppet show, Les Guignois, on television at home in France.

Saturday, the German media asked Hingis if she had been bothered by the controversy, and she said it was more important to “give your answers on the court,” not in the interview room.

Hingis said she spoke to Mauresmo on the court.

“It’s only between us, I think. It’s between me and her and what’s going on, besides us, no one else has to know,” she said. “I said I’m not going to talk about it. I told her something. There is nothing to apologize for.”

Said Mauresmo: “All that has been happening is a little bit stupid. Both of them [Davenport and Hingis] apologized, so I don’t want to talk about it. They apologized and that’s it.”

She was asked if she was disappointed the attention had turned away from her tennis game.

“Yes, of course, anybody would be,” she said.

Mauresmo’s level of shot-making was amazing here the last two weeks, as she survived two match points in the first round, all the way through to her semifinal upset of Davenport in three sets.

In the final, her major weapon--the topspin backhand down the line--often misfired, and she got in only 46% of her first serves.

The match did not turn theatrical and tense until the final game. Hingis led, 5-3, and Mauresmo was serving to stay in the match, and pulled out all the shots in her repertoire.

In all, Mauresmo erased six match points, hitting winners on most of them, including an ace on Hingis’ third match point. Finally, on match point No. 7, Mauresmo pushed a forehand volley into the net.

“I had a few occasions to come back,” she said. “I missed a little bit, these occasions, this time. I’m going to learn how to deal with a Grand Slam final. There’s a lot pressure and lot of tension. I think next time I am going to deal with it differently. For the first time, it wasn’t too bad.

“She was a better player today and played some good tennis. She has more experience and she handles the pressure differently. I think she played a great match.”

Hingis displayed her tennis genius in the eighth game of the second set, leading 4-3. Mauresmo quickly put Hingis in trouble, earning three break points. The first one was erased in dramatic fashion, as Hingis, almost insolently from behind the baseline, feathered over an unreachable drop shot.

Two more Mauresmo errors pulled the game to deuce, and Hingis smacked two sensational passing shots on the dead run, the second a forehand down the line. With victory so near, she threw her head back in joy.

Hingis spoke highly of her opponent, who will move from No. 29 in the world to a career-best No. 18.

“If she continues playing like this, she will definitely have a big chance to be in the top 10,” Hingis said.

But Hingis could not help herself when asked if Mauresmo’s backhand was the best in women’s tennis.

“I think I have a better one,” she said, laughing. “Maybe as a one-hander, yes, but not the double-hander. It doesn’t beat me.”

As they say, the work is still in progress.