Hingis Ends Losing Streak to Davenport

Martina Hingis sent a backhand past Lindsay Davenport on championship point, then skipped to the net and grinned as she consoled her opponent with a pat on the back.

It wasn’t long before Davenport was smiling too.

Hingis left the Ericsson Open with the first-place trophy. Davenport graciously settled for the No. 1 ranking.

Funny business, this women’s tennis. Hingis, who had lost five consecutive matches to Davenport, ended the streak Saturday with a 6-3, 6-2 victory. But because the rankings are based on results from the last year, Davenport will bump Hingis from No. 1 next week.

“She really deserves the No. 1 spot right now,” said Hingis, who led the rankings for most of the last three years. “So far this season, she has played very well. But it’s different being No. 1 and No. 2. It’s different pressure. Now I’m the hunter again.”

Davenport, who had won 21 consecutive matches since January, becomes No. 1 for the third time in her career.

“It’s a great consolation,” said Davenport, smiling often during her postmatch news conference. “It’s been pretty exciting the past few weeks with the race between Martina and me.”

Hingis’ victory was her first against Davenport since the Chase Championships in November 1998. Davenport won their previous three meetings this year, all in finals.

“It’s going to go back and forth many more times in our career,” Davenport said. “I’ll beat her again someday.”

Hingis played almost flawless tennis Saturday, committing 10 unforced errors in 99 points. She shook off a blatantly bad line call on set point in the first set, coolly closing it out two points later.

And she shook off the memory of a blown 6-4, 4-2 lead against Davenport in the final at Indian Wells two weeks ago.

Even the arrest Thursday of a 45-year-old Croatian man on a misdemeanor stalking charge failed to faze Hingis. The man was accused of following Hingis at tournaments and sending her letters, but she said she had no concerns about her safety.

“This guy obviously is a little strange,” said Hingis, smiling still. “He’s like in love with me. In the beginning I tried to tell him, ‘I’ve got a friend. I’m happy.’ I guess he just likes the attention.”

Despite the distraction, Hingis didn’t lose a set en route to her second Key Biscayne title. She earned $350,000 and Davenport received $175,000.

The match took only 58 minutes, and both players agreed windy weather hurt Davenport, who had prevailed in their recent meetings thanks to her superior power. Davenport couldn’t muster a single ace, her groundstrokes often sailed wildly, and she committed 40 unforced errors.

“Here she just can’t go for big shots because it’s too dangerous,” Hingis said. “I run and get as many balls back as I can.”

While Hingis looked fresh, Davenport felt the effects of her grueling three-set semifinal victory over Sandrine Testud.

“I was definitely a step slow today,” Davenport said. “Combined with the wind and Martina not missing too many balls, it made for a rather ugly day for myself.”

*

In the men’s final today, Pete Sampras will seek his third Key Biscayne title against Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten, who upset Andre Agassi in the semifinals.

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Streak Buster

Martina Hingis ended a five-match losing streak against Lindsay Davenport Saturday dating to 1998. A look at the last seven matches:

Ericsson Open, Key Biscayne, Fla., 2000

Hingis d. Davenport, 6-3, 6-2

Champions Cup, Indian Wells, 2000

Davenport d. Hingis, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0

Australian Open, Melbourne, 2000

Davenport d. Hingis, 6-1, 7-5

Chase Championships, New York, 1999

Davenport d. Hingis, 6-4, 6-2

Advanta Championships, Phila., 1999

Davenport d. Hingis, 6-3, 6-4

Adidas International, Sydney, 1999

Davenport d. Hingis, 6-4, 6-3

Chase Championships, New York, 1998

Hingis d. Davenport, 7-5, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2