1999 Chase Championships at Madison Square Garden, New York, on Sunday, November 21, 1999
Lindsay Davenport defeated Martina Hingis, 6-4, 6-2

An Interview With MARTINA HINGIS

Q. Has Lindsay played any better today than you've ever seen her before?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I've seen the match in Philadelphia against Venus; I guess that was a pretty solid performance, too. But probably that was like her best match against me, but I can't, you know, consider me playing like the best ever because it's kind of tough to come back consecutive days and play just your best, you know. I think it was a great win yesterday, but that's the game, tennis. You have like a great week and then loss the next day, but that's life, I guess.

Q. Are you saying that you felt flat today?

MARTINA HINGIS: No, not really flat, but she didn't give me any chances to get back into it. Maybe one in the second set when she was up 3-2 and like a little easy return. Obviously, you still have to make it, but I didn't really have that many opportunities, because she served very well, and even the ground strokes were just very deep, and it's hard to do something out of them.

Q. Is her serve tougher to deal with than Venus?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, it's harder to read, definitely, and it's much better placed. She can place it anywhere; that's the problem, too. Venus, sometimes you can just expect where it's going to go, and I think yesterday, because I made her kind of tired in the first set, we had long rallies, so she didn't serve as well anymore. But Lindsay is different because you don't get into long rallies. That was my strategy today, just kind of keep her on the run or make her do something so she gets tired for the serve, but didn't really work out.

Q. It looked like there were a couple points when you got a little frustrated today. Was this more frustrating match than you've had in a while?

MARTINA HINGIS: I got maybe a little frustrated about some calls, not like about the way I played, of course. But I think I've been able to control myself a little bit more, but if there are a few calls to give, important to give you a little chance back into the game. I could have -- I know I missed shots that I wasn't supposed to miss, but things like that makes it even harder.

Q. What did your mother tell you right after the match?

MARTINA HINGIS: No, she just came: The right way, that victory yesterday, was a pretty important one for myself, for my confidence. I lost today, but, it's like the last match and still got another doubles to play. But there is one month to practice and I can work on myself and get better for Australia.

Q. As well as Lindsay was playing, do you think you might have had a chance if the match had been three-out-of-five instead of two-out-of-three?

MARTINA HINGIS: I don't think that's going to make a difference because she could just rely on her serve, and it was just very tough to break her. I was able to do it once, and it was hard to win my serve because she's got a great return, and she doesn't have to be afraid of anything. Right now, I mean she's been injured and she came back out great. And you know, right now, I always could consider her as a top player in the Tour, maybe I was more consistent over the year, but she was just playing better -- better at this tournament. She ended up last year No. 1 and I beat her here; so it's just like turned around, you know.

Q. As hard as you work and can work, you're not going to be 6'2"; do you have to be smarter than everybody else?

MARTINA HINGIS: I think I can still improve on some of the things. Today, it's like not many things work out well together, in a way, because it was just the speed and everything, also. But I think I can definitely work on my quickness and just to be able to finish a tournament like this, not only have like one great match -- well, maybe the other matches are like, tough. But once you have to play either the Williams sisters or Lindsay, you have to know that they are going to be two tough matches, and you have to go through them if you want to win. But in the past, a little bit I always was not able to win the last two matches. I might have won one, but another one was waiting and I hope to make it again.

Q. You've proven yourself as a top player over and over again. You've had another great year at No. 1.. Despite you were in the French Final, but you got bounced out of Wimbledon and you've had some kind of maybe emotional times this year. But you came back, and here you are, No. 1, do you feel that this year has been a special one; that you've matured or you've become a stronger player mentally?

MARTINA HINGIS: Oh, yes, definitely. This was like the best year I've ever had, and I'm looking forward to have many more because, like before, I would always go out there and play, and not really -- well, the last year or the last two years, that that didn't, you know, take it -- not that I didn't take it serious, but somehow, I wouldn't really put 100% into it. There were like always other things distracting me, and you still kind of go through that learning procedure. This year was like really amazing to me that I learned a lot about myself, and that's why I came back, in a way. That's why -- I had support from my mother and people around, but at the end, it's you who has to go out there and do it, you know. I'm very happy about that, that I was able to do it, and try to continue.

Q. What's your current arrangement with your mom?

MARTINA HINGIS: Current arrangement? My current arrangement, you mean, I pay her this amount or what? (Laughing).

Q. I mean, how much time is spent together every day, do you travel sometimes separately?

MARTINA HINGIS: No, we are best friends. I can trust her on anything I do. I don't need to go away. I go to probably Czech Republic now; I don't know what I'm going to do yet. But we always go together because I can learn a lot from her. She is like one of the few people around me -- there are not many, who tell you the truth, so it's very important to have her around to tell me, and not many people when they are at top, they are afraid to criticize you of course, but she's not. Maybe sometimes I hate her for that, but it's good, you know.

Q. But you tried to go on your own at 18?

MARTINA HINGIS: That's what I tried it do. I wasn't different from anybody, but I realized pretty quick it's not the right way.

Q. What did your mother tell you at the end of the match?

MARTINA HINGIS: I said it before: We were on the good way, and we tried to work on things and just go on, you know, just -- it was a tough match, but, you know, there are a lot of things you can do better and try to do it.

Q. Are you going to do something special to celebrate 2000?

MARTINA HINGIS: I don't really care about 2000 right now. I'm just happy the year is over and the season is there, and this is the last match. I enjoy just the time right now. Next month is going to be a lot of joy.

Q. Where are you going to go to ski now?

MARTINA HINGIS: Maybe I will go, like during Christmas time now. I'd love to go to Colorado one day. I've never been to the mountains in the States. Everybody tells me it's great in Aspen or Vale, so why not?