Hingis’ Learning Power

Martina Hingis, the thinker, might make the same mental mistake once or twice. But three times?

That’s quite rare.

Consider her recent record against Monica Seles. In less than a week last summer, she was fairly pounded by the powerful, angled groundstrokes of Seles, losing in straight sets in San Diego and in three at Manhattan Beach in August.

“I was probably a little surprised the way she came out, just kind of underestimated her,” Hingis said. “But not since then.”

Hingis has defeated Seles three straight times after the Southern California lesson, and the most emphatic victory was Thursday night in the semifinals at the Pacific Life Open. The second-seeded Hingis beat No. 4 Seles, 6-3, 6-2, in 59 minutes at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, dropping serve just once and winning 10 of 11 points at the net.

“I played very well,” said Hingis, who has lost to Seles only twice in their last 12 meetings. “I was really out there from the first point on. I haven’t played a match like this in a while. I’m very happy about it. I had a little confidence going into this match because I knew I was playing well throughout the whole tournament.”

Said Seles: “I struggled yesterday and today again. I couldn’t find my rhythm. That was really it. I just made error after error and Martina played too good. I guess she made me hit those errors.”

Awaiting Hingis is a surprise teenage finalist. And not any of the usual highly regarded teenagers, Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin or Daja Bedanova. Earlier, 18-year-old Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia survived a nerve-racking semifinal against Emmanuelle Gagliardi of Switzerland, winning, 4-6, 6-0, 6-4, in 2 hours 10 minutes.

This will be her first final. She reached two semifinals last year, indoors at Oklahoma City and on grass at Birmingham. This will be Hingis’ fourth final in 2002.

“I can’t ask for more,” Hantuchova said. “It’s so exciting for me, to be first time in the final and playing one of the best players in the world at a major tournament like this. I’m so happy just to be here. I’m enjoying every minute here.”

Hingis has taken a close interest in the progress of Hantuchova. They have practiced together and Hingis watched her matches this week, including the final two sets of the semifinal.

“I would have thought that maybe she wins that one a little easier,” Hingis said. “It’s always a little nerve-racking. She was in a different position, playing [Justine] Henin, nothing to lose. This time she had to prove it.”

On Thursday, Hingis and Melanie Molitor, her mother and coach, started reminiscing about Hingis’ early days on the tour. Molitor asked her daughter about whether she was nervous before her first semifinal.

“It was the U.S. Open when I played the semifinals,” she said. “But I played Steffi Graf there. It was a little different playing Steffi Graf than Emmanuelle Gagliardi.”

Hantuchova, ranked 26th, will move up to at least No. 18 when new rankings are released Monday. If she wins the tournament, she will move to No. 17. She started the year at No. 38 and the recent progress has caused her to do some rethinking.

“Last year, at the end of the year, I wanted to be in the top 20 by the end of the next year, and I’m already there,” she said. “So now I have to set up the next goal.”

The 25-year-old Gagliardi, now ranked 70th, will break into the top 50 at No. 46 and was delighted to receive the news, beaming at the information. She recorded her best result and frustrated Hantuchova with a series of drop shots, including one in the fourth game of the third set that spun away from the Slovak with some wicked backspin.

“I had an easy ball,” Gagliardi said. “I am pretty natural. I always express myself. I think it was a clever shot at that point.”

She said she likes to express herself. What part of her personality did that shot express? “You need a psychologist to answer this,” Gagliardi said.

Hingis is more familiar with the game of Gagliardi since they played Fed Cup together for Switzerland. She said she likes to practice with youngsters like Bedanova and Hantuchova, getting an early glimpse at the competition.

“You now, kind of test them a little bit, like they’ve been testing me,” she said. “I test them now.”

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The Match

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