Long live the queen
Women's tennis rejuvenated once more
Posted: Wednesday January 27, 1999 01:57 PM
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Hingis, who defeated Pierce 6-3, 6-4, will face next the perfect record player in the Australian Open, Monica Seles AP |
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- As the bell rang on the latest round of one long-running personal contest for the women's tennis tiara, two new protagonists started squaring up for the next.
Monica Seles beat Steffi Graf Wednesday for a semifinals spot in Australian Open and a chance to extend her perfect record at the Australian Grand Slam title -- five wins in five tries.
But to get there she must beat No. 2 Martina Hingis, who ran over the top of Mary Pierce for a possible chance to avenge her U.S. Open loss to No. 1 Lindsay Davenport, who also took the top ranking from the 18-year-old Swiss last year.
Like Seles vs. Graf before them, the matchup of Hingis vs. Davenport are becoming familiar.
The pair have met 14 times and have won seven matches each. Of their three meetings in a Grand Slam, Hingis lost to Davenport in third round of the 1995 French Open, won the semifinal of the 1997 U.S. Open, and lost last year's U.S. open final.
Hingis said Wednesday she was fitter and faster than previously and was not intimidated by Seles' unbroken record.
"Nobody has beaten her at this tournament so far," Hingis said. "I would like to change that.
"You just have to keep her on the run, be faster than her, otherwise she just goes for everything. You have to keep the rallies long and then go for your chances."
To get to the final Davenport must overcome unknown French powerhouse Amelie Mauresmo, who "blew her off the court" the only other time they've met.
The broad-shouldered 19-year-old, ranked 29, blasted 11th seed Dominique Van Roost off the court with powerful serves and groundstrokes for a 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) win and removed her second seed of the tournament after beating No.8 Patty Schnyder in the second round.
"Any kind of player that gets in the semifinals is always a dangerous player," Davenport said of Mauresmo. "It makes somebody dangerous when they are able to beat a lot of good players."
The two have played once before, at the German Open in Berlin last year.
"She just blew me off the court," said Davenport.
"She hits extremely hard. That makes somebody dangerous when they are able to beat a lot of good players. It's going to be a tough match for me to win."
In the sentimental match of the tournament, Seles defeated former arch rival Graf 7-5, 6-1 for her 33rd straight match win here.
"Nobody has beaten her at this tournament so far," Hingis said. "I would like to change that.
"You just have to keep her on the run, be faster than her, otherwise she just goes for everything. You have to keep the rallies long and then go for your chances," she said.
Nine-time Grand Slam winner Seles, 25, sat out the first two months of 1998 for personal reasons, but returned in form, overcoming the death of her father three weeks earlier to make the final at the French Open and reaching the quarters at Wimbledon and at the U.S. Open.
Seles has met former world No.1 Hingis, 18, eight times but beaten her only twice - both times in 1998.
The last time they met in the semifinals was at the 1998 French Open and Seles was the victor. Hingis avenged the loss in the quarters of the U.S. Open, their last meeting.
"Steffi is not the best player in the world, it's Lindsay and Martina," said Seles, denying there were any special feelings about meeting Graf again.
"I have tremendous respect for Martina. She is not going to give me any free points and I will have to play some great tennis."
In their quarterfinal Wednesday, defending champion Hingis had a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 win over 7th-seeded Frenchwoman and 1995 Australian Open winner Mary Pierce.
Hingis won back-to-back Australian Opens in 1997-98 and owns the 1997 Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles. She reached the semifinals in every Grand Slam last year.
Though Hingis cannot reclaim her No.1 ranking if she meets and beats Davenport in the final, she can avenge last year's U.S. Open final loss.
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