Hingis Falls to Williams’ Power Game

Overcoming some aggressive early play by the world’s top-ranked player, Serena Williams defeated Martina Hingis, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, in Saturday’s semifinals of the estyle.com Classic at Manhattan Country Club in Manhattan Beach and will meet Lindsay Davenport in the final today.

Hingis, seeded No. 1, gained the upper hand early on by changing from her baseline game to more of a power approach in order to put pressure on Williams. It worked until Williams adjusted, and Hingis said she couldn’t keep it up.

“I just had trouble with my strategy, and the way I should play her,” Hingis said. “And I just didn’t think I could pull [the power game] through the whole match. I made a mistake there. I kind of had her easily in the first set. I tried something different, which stopped working because maybe I got tired a little bit.”

Williams, the defending champion who is seeded fifth, said she didn’t play up to her expectations and that she struggled with her serve.

“I think maybe I lost a little focus,” said Williams, who had seven aces to one for Hingis but six double faults. “I’m going to definitely work on that.”

Despite her struggles, she was pleased with the overall result.

“Usually if I’m serving bad, my whole game is down,” she said. “Today I played the No. 1 player and I did not serve well, but still I was able to come out with the win, and that is what is important. I like that.”

Hingis built a 4-1 lead, broke Williams’ serve in the ninth game and held serve to win the set.

“[At first] I was too anxious,” Williams said. “I really wanted to get to the ball. Then, when I was down 4-1, I started thinking, ‘That’s not your game plan, Serena.’ ”

She said she stopped hitting the ball so hard, changed the pace and tried to move the ball around more.

In the second set, Williams’ new approach helped her go up 3-0, but Hingis fought back to make it 3-2.

“I let down a little bit in the second set,” Williams said.

Williams began to pressure Hingis, and she made 21 of her 23 unforced errors in the final two sets.

“I guess I [wore her down],” Williams said. “You have to break down your opponent one way or another.”

Serving for the match, Williams fell behind, 15-30, after making two unforced errors.

“I kept thinking, ‘You’re serving, you’re one of the best players on the tour, you have to hold serve,’ ” she said. “ ‘This is your game. You’re the best.’ That’s what I kept saying to myself. And when you think to yourself like that, you’ll start believing it.”

Williams won nine of the last 12 games, and the velocity of her serve improved in the third set.

“When you play Martina, you know she’s going to fight to the last points,” Williams said.

Hingis said her tough three-set victory against Chanda Rubin on Wednesday took a lot out of her and played a factor in Saturday’s match.

“I’m all right,” Hingis said. “I’ve had better days, though.”

Davenport, a two-time champion here who is seeded second, cruised to a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Elena Dementieva of Russia, but said today’s match against Williams would be a totally different challenge.

“I’ve lost to her the last few times, so I know I have to do something differently,” Davenport said. “I hope that I can hit the ball hard and deep and not let her step into a lot of shots, but it’s tough because she’s very athletic.

“She has a good serve and hits the ball hard, and so I’m going to try to combat that.”

Williams is 4-1 in her career against Davenport and has won the last four matches, including last year in a U.S Open semifinal.

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Head to Head

Serena Williams has won the last four meetings against Lindsay Davenport:

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Tournament Date Surface Round Result Chicago Nov. ’97 Carpet Semifinals Davenport, 6-4, 6-4 Sydney Jan. ’98 Hardcourt Quarterfinals Williams, 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 Indian Wells March ’99 Hardcourt Round of 32 Williams, 6-4, 6-2 U.S. Open Aug. ’99 Hardcourt Semifinals Williams, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 Germany Sept. ’99 Hardcourt Semifinals Williams, 6-3, 6-4

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WOMEN’S TENNIS

estyle.com Classic

SEMIFINAL RESULTS

Serena Williams (5) d.

Martina Hingis (1), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3

Lindsay

Davenport (2) d.

Elena Dementieva, 6-4, 6-4

TODAY’S FINAL

WILLIAMS vs. DAVENPORT

Manhattan Country Club, 11 a.m.,

Channel 4