Martina Hingis News Archive, January 1, 2002 to February 6, 2002 (Sports -- Tennis)
Martina Hingis 2002 Record Current Hingis News, Photos, & Links(1/3) Martina Hingis has arrived in Australia to defend her title at the Sydney International, January 6-12. Martina has fully recovered from her torn ligaments, and said: "The ankle's fine. It's not a factor anymore. Of course it's always in the back of your head but I've had injuries before and hopefully this year I'll be fine."
(1/6) Martina Hingis is the 2nd seed and has a first round bye at the Sydney Adidas International. She will play either Lisa Raymond or Magui Serna in the second round. Jennifer Capriati drew the top seed. Martina and her doubles partner (and fellow Adidas endorsee) Anna Kournikova will play first round doubles tomorrow evening (early AM in the US, not before 12:30 AM PST) vs. Janet Lee and Wynne Prakusya (singles draw).
(1/7) Martina Hingis and her doubles partner Anna Kournikova defeated Janet Lee and Wynne Prakusya 6-4, 6-2 at the Sydney Adidas International today. Their next doubles match will be tomorrow. (brackets, .pdf). Martina is the 2nd seed in singles and had a first round bye. She will play Lisa Raymond this afternoon in the second round. Jennifer Capriati drew the top seed.
(1/8) Martina Hingis defeated Lisa Raymond 6-1, 6-1 in the second round of the Adidas International in Sydney, Australia. Martina will play either Sandrine Testud or Henrieta Nagyova in a quarterfinal tomorrow. Martina said "I felt a little nervous" on her return from torn ankle ligaments last year, but "I think it is a great start to the new season, especially since I hadn't played in so long." Martina and Anna Kournikova will play a doubles quarterfinal today vs. Henrieta Nagyova and Iroda Tulyaganova (brackets, .pdf)
(1/9) Martina and Anna Kournikova defeated Henrieta Nagyova and Iroda Tulyaganova at the Adidas International in Sydney, Australia. They will have a tougher doubles semifinal match late today vs. Justine Henin and Meghann Shaughnessy. Before that, Martina will play Sandrine Testud in a singles quarterfinal (at 4 PM PST). (brackets, .pdf).
(1/10) Martina Hingis defeated Sandrine Testud 6-4, 6-2 at the Adidas International in Sydney, Australia. Martina will face Belgian Kim Clijsters, the #3 seed, in a semifinal match today. Meghann Shaughnessy and Serena Williams will meet in the other semifinal. And Martina and Anna Kournikova defeated Justine Henin and Meghann Shaughnessy 6-4, 6-3 in a doubles semifinal. They will face the top seeds Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs in the final late tonight. (brackets, .pdf).
(1/11) Martina Hingis defeated Kim Clijsters 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 at the Adidas International in Sydney, Australia. Martina suffered from heat exhaustion and a pinched thigh muscle during the match, forcing her and Anna Kournikova to withdraw from their doubles final against Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs. Martina plays in the singles final today against Meghann Shaughnessy, whose semi against Serena Williams ended when Serena withdrew with a twisted ankle when behind 5-4. Martina said: "I just have to rest as much as I possibly can, have a massage and treatment and go out there and play a good match tomorrow" (brackets, .pdf). Photo: Martina Hingis after defeating Kim Clijsters in a semifinal of the adidas International in Sydney, Australia, on on January 11, 2001. |
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(Jan. 12) Martina Hingis defeated Meghann Shaughnessy 6-2, 6-3 in the final of the Adidas International in Sydney, Australia. Martina said her ankle injury gave her "time to rest and relax my mind as well and I'm enjoying myself much more out there now". (AP version)(brackets, .pdf). Martina is the 3rd seed in next week's Australian Open, and she will play Virginie Razzano of France in the first round at 7PM local time Monday evening (midnight Sunday evening PST).
(Jan. 14) 3rd seed Martina Hingis defeated Virginie Razzano 6-2, 6-2 in the opening round of the Australian Open. Martina will face Greta Arn of Germany in the second round. This match will be the 3rd match of the day at the Vodaphone Arena (the 1st match is at 11AM local Wednesday = 4PM PST Tuesday).
(Jan. 16) Martina Hingis defeated Greta Arn 6-1, 6-2 in the second round of the Australian Open. Martina said recovering from her torn ligaments involved "lots of tennis, [about] four hours a day on court, and then running in the mountains" (full interview video and text). Martina will face another German, Barbara Rittner, in the third round. Martina and Anna Kournikova are the 8th seed in doubles, and they will play Annabel Ellwood and Tatiana Perebiynis in the first round. This match will be the 4th match of the day at Show Court 1 (the 1st match is at 10AM local Thursday = 3PM PST Wednesday).
(Jan. 17) Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova defeated Annabel Ellwood and Tatiana Perebiynis 6-2, 6-2, in the 1st round of doubles at the Australian Open. They will play Magdalena Maleeva and Asa Svensson in the 2nd round (tomorrow?). Today, Martina will play German Barbara Rittner in the third round of singles. This match will take place at the Rod Laver Arena ("centre court") at 7PM local (7PM Friday in Melbourne = 12 midnight Thursday evening PST).
(Jan. 18) Martina Hingis defeated Barbara Rittner 6-1, 6-0 in the 3rd round of singles at the Australian Open. Martina will play South African Amanda Coetzer in the 4th round. Today, Martina and Anna Kournikova will play Magdalena Maleeva and Asa Svensson in the 2nd round of doubles. This will be the 4th match of the day at Show Court #1 (1st match is at 11AM Saturday in Melbourne = 4PM Friday PST).
(Jan. 19) Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova defeated Magdalena Maleeva and Asa Svensson 6-3, 6-1 in the 2nd round of doubles at the Australian Open. They will play the Kristie Boogert and Miriam Oremans of the Netherlands in the 3rd round. Today, Martina will play 15th seed Amanda Coetzer in the 4th round of singles. This will be the 3rd match of the day in the Rod Laver Arena (the 1st match, Seles vs. Garrigues, starts at 11AM Sunday in Melbourne = 4PM Saturday PST).
(Jan. 20) Martina Hingis defeated Amanda Coetzer 6-1, 6-0 in the 4th round of singles at the Australian Open. Martina said: "Every game I've played I feel better, more secure in my shots..." (post-match interview video and text). 3rd seed Martina will play unseeded Italian Adriana Serra Zanetti in the quarterfinals. Today, Martina and Anna Kournikova will play Kristie Boogert and Miriam Oremans of the Netherlands in the 3rd round of doubles. This will be the 2nd match of the day at Show Court #1 (the 1st match is at 11AM Monday in Melbourne = 4PM Sunday PST).
(Jan. 22) Martina Hingis defeated Adriana Serra Zanetti 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of singles at the Australian Open (post-match interview video and text). 8th seed Monica Seles defeated Venus Williams in their quarter and will play 3rd seed Martina in the semifinals. Today, Martina and Anna Kournikova will play Shinobu Asagoe and Rika Fujiwara of Japan in a doubles quarterfinal. This match will be in Show Court #1 at 11AM Wednesday in Melbourne (= 4PM Tuesday PST).
(Jan. 23) Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova won 6-4, 6-2 over Shinobu Asagoe and Rika Fujiwara in their doubles quarterfinal at the Australian Open. Today, 3rd seed Martina will play #8 Monica Seles (who defeated V. Williams in their quarter) in a singles semifinal. This match will be the 2nd of the day at Rod Laver Arena (the 1st match is at 11AM Thursday in Melbourne = 4PM Wednesday PST). Martina leads Monica 12-4 in previous meetings. Later Martina and Anna they will play top-seeded Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs in a doubles semifinal. This will be the 5th match at Show Court #1 (the 1st match is at 11AM Thursday in Melbourne = 4PM Wednesday PST).
(Jan. 24) Martina Hingis defeated Monica Seles 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in a singles semifinal at the Australian Open. Martina said: "...I think I'm moving forward again and playing better than ever" (post-match interview video and text). Martina will play top seed Jennifer Capriati in the singles final (tomorrow). Capriati defeated Kim Clijsters 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 in their semi. Later, Martina and Anna Kournikova defeated top-seeded Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs 6-7(5) 6-1 6-0 in their doubles semifinal. Today, Martina and Anna will play Daniela Hantuchova and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in the final. This will be the 2nd match today at Rod Laver Arena (the 1st match is at 11AM Friday in Melbourne = 4PM Thursday PST).
(Jan. 25) Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova won the doubles championship at the Australian Open over Daniela Hantuchova and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-1. Asked if she and Anna would play together the whole year, Martina said: "Definitely, ...if we both stay healthy." (post match interview text and video). Today, Martina will play Jennifer Capriati in the singles final. Capriati defeated Kim Clijsters 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 in their semi. Martina is 5-3 vs. Jennifer in previous meetings since 1996. This will be the 2nd match today at Rod Laver Arena (the 1st match is at 11AM Saturday in Melbourne = 4PM Friday PST).
(Jan. 26) Jennifer Capriati defeated Martina Hingis 4-6, 7(9)-6(7), 6-2 in the singles final at the Australian Open. Martina had a match point at 5-3 in the 2nd set, two at 6-5, and one at 7-6 in the tiebreaker, but could not convert. Both players struggled with the 95 degree heat in the 2 hour, 10 minute match. Martina said: "I'm disappointed, but there's next week, next tournament, next Grand Slams." Next week Martina will play in the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, as will her doubles partner Anna Kournikova. Martina lost to Lindsay Davenport in the final there last year.
(Jan. 28) This week Martina will play in the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Martina, the top seed in singles, has a bye in the 1st round. Jelena Dokic is seeded #2, Monica Seles #3, and Sandrine Testud #4.
(Jan. 29) Martina Hingis will play Marlene Weingartner of Germany today in the second round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. This will a late match on Court #1, not before 5PM Wednesday (in Japan = 12 Midnight Tuesday night PST) (schedule/scoreboard). Martina and Anna Kournikova are NOT entered in doubles at this tournament. Martina said "I've played a lot of tennis this year and I think I need a rest."
(Jan. 30) Martina Hingis defeated Marlene Weingartner of Germany 6-1, 6-2 in the 2nd round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Martina will next play either Tamarine Tanasugarn or 6th seed Magdalena Maleeva in a quarterfinal. Martina said she now feels well-rested, and that "the expectations are all for me to win, and I feel pretty good about my chances here".
(Jan. 31) Today, Martina Hingis will play Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand in a quarterfinal at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo (Tanasugarn defeated Magdalena Maleeva in the 2nd round 6-3, 2-6, 6-2). This will be the 1st match of the day, Friday at 1PM in Tokyo (= 8PM Thursday PST) (schedule/scoreboard).
(Feb. 1) Martina Hingis defeated Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand 6-3, 6-2 in a quarterfinal at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Martina said: "I didn't serve that well at first but I was able to lift the level of the game when I needed to and then I cruised through the second set" (interview). Today, Martina will face Silvia Farina Elia in a semifinal. This will be the 1st match of the day, Saturday at 1PM in Tokyo (= 8PM Friday PST) (schedule/scoreboard). Martina is 3-1 in previous matches with Farina Elia. The other semi pits Anna Kournikova against Monica Seles.
(Feb. 2) Martina Hingis defeated Silvia Farina Elia 6-0, 6-4 in a semifinal at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Martina said: "...I knew I had the game to beat her and that was probably the mental difference..." (full interview). Today, Martina will face Monica Seles in a semifinal. This will be Sunday at 1PM in Tokyo (= 8PM Saturday PST) (schedule/scoreboard). Seles eliminated Anna Kournikova in their semi, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Martina is 13-4 in previous matches with Seles. Martina and Anna are NOT entered in doubles at this tournament, and neither is entered in next week's Gaz tournament.
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(Feb. 3) Martina Hingis won the final of the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo with a 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-3 victory over Monica Seles. Martina said: "I have worked pretty hard after I had the surgery... it is definitely great for me to finish it off with this.... I can't wait to go back home and maybe go roller-blading and then in the States, maybe some golf... I have three weeks off before I play the next tournament in Scottsdale, and then Indian Wells" (full interview). Photo: Martina Hingis during the Toray Pan Pacific Open final in Tokyo, Japan vs. Monica Seles on February 3, 2002. |
(Feb. 27, 2002) Returning to action after 3 weeks vacation, 2nd-seeded Martina Hingis defeated 125th-ranked French qualifier Stephanie Foretz 6-2, 6-4 in the 2nd round of the State Farm Classic at Scottsdale, AZ. Martina said: "I'm happy about this round. I was very focused, very concentrated."
(Mar. 1, 2002) Martina Hingis defeated 26th-ranked Daja Bedanova 6-4, 0-6, 6-3 in a quarterfinal of the State Farm Classic at Scottsdale, AZ. Martina said: "She made me play. I needed a match like this. I just had to get the second set over and start again."
(Mar. 2, 2002) 9th-ranked Serena Williams handed Martina Hingis her 2nd loss of the year, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, in a semifinal of the State Farm Classic at Scottsdale, AZ. Martina said: "I had my chances, I just missed my opportunities. I didn't really pressure her in the first set." Williams then defeated Jennifer Capriati in the final (Mar. 3) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 (singles draw). Martina is now 16-2 for the year.
(Mar. 6, 2002) Martina Hingis, currently ranked 4th, is the 2nd seed at the Pacific Life Open (Tennis Masters Series) at Indian Wells, CA, and has a 1st round bye. She will play Croatian qualifier Sylvija Talaja (1st meeting) in the 2nd round, probably on Friday (March 8th), but possibly on Saturday (schedule, .pdf) (singles draw, .pdf). #3 Kim Clijsters is the top seed, with Justine Henin and Monica Seles 3rd and 4th seeds at the 2-week tournament. In doubles, Martina and her usual doubles partner Anna Kournikova are seeded 4th, and will play a tough 1st round match vs. Justine Henin and Meghann Shaughnessy, not on Thursday, so probably on Friday. (doubles draw, .pdf).
(Mar. 8, 2002) Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova have withdrawn from the doubles at the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells, CA, because Martina found she was suffering from tendonitis in her right wrist during practice. Martina may withdraw from singles as well, she is not scheduled to play until tomorrow (doubles draw, .pdf) (schedule, .pdf). This is a 2-week tournament.
(Mar. 9, 2002) Today Martina Hingis defeated #85 Sylvija Talaja 6-0, 6-1 at the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells, CA. Martina, suffering from tendonitis in her right wrist, said: "...last week, I wasn't really able to practice the way I wanted to because I just tried to escape the pain, and it didn't work. Also in the matches, I had trouble. So now I'm happy the way I played" (interview). Martina and Anna Kournikova withdrew from the doubles due to Martina's wrist trouble.
(Mar. 10, 2002) Martina Hingis defeated #42 Elena Likhovtseva today 6-3, 6-3, in the 3rd round of the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells, CA (interview). Martina's 4th-round opponent will be #84 Cara Black, probably on Monday. There is live scoring on the website home page (schedule, .pdf) (singles draw, .pdf).
(Mar. 11, 2002) Martina Hingis defeated #84 Cara Black today 6-0, 6-3 in the 4th-round of the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells, CA. Of the top 6 seeds, now only Martina and Monica Seles remain, but Martina said: "Still a way to go... I can't underestimate anybody. Monica seems like she's on a roll, too... Any match could be a dangerous one."
(Mar. 12, 2002) Martina Hingis defeated #17 Amanda Coetzer today 6-1, 6-2 in a quarterfinal of the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells, CA. Very high winds and blowing sand made play difficult, but Martina said she watched the prior match between Monica Seles and Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario, "and I learned from that... to be patient, not go for shots too soon, just to wait for the right moment to come."
(Mar. 15, 2002) Martina Hingis defeated #9 Monica Seles 6-3, 6-2 yesterday in a semifinal of the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells, CA. Martina said: "I haven't played a match like this in a while... I made her play shots, she missed some, and some I just reacted very well, wrong-footing her." On Saturday, Martina will play #26 Daniela Hantuchova in the final (first meeting) (schedule, .pdf) (singles draw, .pdf). There is live scoring on the website home page.
(Mar. 17, 2002) #26 Daniela Hantuchova defeated Martina Hingis yesterday 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells, CA (singles draw, .pdf). Martina is now 21-3 for the year. Slovakian teen Hantuchova had previously defeated Justine Henin and 4 others on her way to her 1st final. Martina said: "She... played a very good match today. Wasn't afraid of going for the shots, you know, going down the lines... When I was 18, I was fearless, too, I guess [laughter]".
(Mar. 22, 2002) Martina Hingis defeated #108 Janet Lee 6-1, 6-0 today in the 2nd round of the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami, Florida (match stats draw live scoring). Martina said: "I'm really pleased the way I played today. If you can play like this your first match, I think that's always getting over the edge." Martina, ranked and seeded 3rd, will play #84 Tatiana Poutchek in the 3rd round on Sunday. 8 of the top 10 ranked players are playing in this tournament, after which Martina will take a 1-month break. Martina and Anna Kournikova are seeded 6th in doubles, and will play Alexandra Stevenson and Marissa Irvin in the 1st round on Sunday (doubles draw).
(Mar. 24, 2002) Today, Martina Hingis, ranked and seeded 3rd, defeated #84 Tatiana Poutchek #84 Tatiana Poutchek 6-0, 6-1 (interview stats) in the 3rd round of the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami, Florida. Martina will face #27 Alexandra Stevenson in the 4th round on Monday (draw schedule). 8 of the top 10 ranked players are playing in this tournament. Also today, Martina and Anna Kournikova, seeded 6th in doubles, will play Alexandra Stevenson and Marissa Irvin in the 1st round. This match started at about 7PM EST (4PM PST) (live scoring doubles draw).
(Mar. 24, 2002) Martina Hingis interview and background from the Guardian Unlimited Observer.
(Mar. 25, 2002) #3 Martina Hingis defeated #27 Alexandra Stevenson today 6-2, 6-0 in the 4th round of the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami, Florida (interview stats). Martina, who had only 7 unforced errors in the 56 minute match, said: "...my game doesn't really suit her. I make her play a lot and don't make many mistakes. She just had to go for too much sometimes."
(Mar. 26, 2002) In doubles, Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova defeated Silvia Farina Elia and Barbara Schett in the 2nd round yesterday 6-3, 6-3 (match stats).
(Mar. 27, 2002) #9 Serena Williams defeated #3 Martina Hingis 6-4, 6-0 today in a quarterfinal of the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami, Florida (match stats draw interview). Martina said: "I think I can be very satisfied the way I've been playing so far this year. It's just taking an extra step... to just get better and work on my game even more." Martina is now 24-4 for the year, with 2 of those losses to Serena. After this tournament Martina is taking a 1-month break before playing in clay court tournaments in Hamburg, Berlin, and Rome prior to the French Open.
(Mar. 29, 2002) Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova withdrew from the doubles at the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami, Florida because Martina was suffering from a strained tendon running along the sole of her right foot. The injury is not serious.
(May 2, 2002) Martina Hingis defeated #40 Cristina Torrens Valero today 6-1, 6-0 (interview)in the 2nd round of the Betty Barclay Cup (English version) in Hamburg, Germany (interview). Martina will play #14 Daniela Hantuchova in a quarterfinal tomorrow on Centre Court at 12:00 noon local time (3AM PDT or 6AM EDT) (live scoring results draw .pdf). On Wednesday, with her usual partner Anna Kournikova in Croatia, Martina teamed with Barbara Schett to defeat Catharine Barclay and Tamarine Tanassugarn in the 1st round of doubles, 6-2, 6-1.
(May 3, 2002) Martina Hingis defeated #14 Daniela Hantuchova 7-5, 6-4 today (interview) in a quarterfinal of the Betty Barclay Cup (English version) in Hamburg, Germany. Martina will play Venus Williams tomorrow in a semifinal (live scoring results draw .pdf). Martina is 10-7 vs. Venus in prior matches. The other semifinal will feature Kim Clijsters vs. Jelena Dokic. Martina and Barbara Schett won their doubles quarterfinal today over Barbara Rittner and Natasha Zvereva in a walkover.
(May 4, 2002) #1 Venus Williams defeated Martina Hingis 6-3, 7-5 today (interview) in a semifinal of the Betty Barclay Cup (English version) in Hamburg, Germany (live scoring results draw .pdf). Martina said: "I always served to her forehand. I kept doing the same stupid things, you can't even cry about or get annoyed anymore." Venus will play #4 Kim Clijsters in the final tomorrow. Martina and Barbara Schett defeated Cara Black and Elena Likhovtseva in doubles 6-2, 6-1.
(May 5, 2002) Martina Hingis and Barbara Schett defeated Daniela Hantuchova and Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario today 6-1, 6-1 in the doubles final of the Betty Barclay Cup (English version) in Hamburg, Germany. #4 Kim Clijsters defeated #1 Venus Williams in the singles final, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.
(May 5, 2002) Martina Hingis has withdrawn from next week's German Open in Berlin due to an injured left ankle that was troubling her in Hamburg. Martina said: (computer translation from German) "It is very unfortunate that I cannot play in Berlin, but I had already the whole week over problems with my left foot. I had to take strong pain tablets, in order to be able to begin at all. I want to be now examined to be able absolute, in order to go to the cause on the reason."
(May 10, 2002) Martina Hingis has withdrawn from next week's Italian Open (Tennis Masters Series), because of her painful injured left ankle. Monica Seles and Amanda Coetzer have also withdrawn from the tournament.
(May 13, 2002) The WTA has released a statement stating that it is "probable" that Martina Hingis will play in the French Open (beginning May 27). In the statement, Martina said: "I've spent the last week resting my foot and will meet my doctor in the next couple of days to speak about my progress. I just need to rest and look ahead to Roland Garros." Martina has dropped to 7th in the WTA rankings this week, after she sat out last week with an ankle injury. Martina has only played in 15 tournaments in the past 12 months (up to 17 can count for ranking points), and she was unable to reach a final from May to December last year. This year she has won 2 titles, and reached 2 other finals, 1 SF, and 2 QF, so once her injury heals, she should recover a higher ranking fairly quickly.
(May 15, 2002) Martina Hingis's doctor has stated that she is suffering from inflammation in the joints causing such severe pain in her feet, left knee and left hip that she unable to train, and may even have to retire from playing tennis. Dr. Heinz Buehlmann said: "We have to see how far the inflammation in the joints already has led to arthrosis... We cannot yet say how sensible it would be for her to continue her career or whether an end to it would be advisable on medical grounds."
(May 17, 2002) While Martina Hingis is undergoing tests to determine the extent of her ankle injury (and other joint inflammation problems), there are conflicting reports about the situation. Her agency, Octagon, stated Wednesday that she is expected to require surgery on her left foot, which would cause her to miss the French Open. But on Thursday a WTA spokesman said: “As far as we’re concerned she is still entered for Roland Garros... until those test results come back there is no point in speculating on the status of the injury.”
(May 18, 2002) Martina Hingis will undergo surgery Monday in Zurich to repair one torn and three loose ligaments in her left ankle. She will miss the French Open and Wimbledon but could return in time for the US Open. In a WTA statement, Martina said: "I am obviously very disappointed that I will be unable to play in Paris. However, I am hopeful that the surgery on Monday will go well and that I can look forward to a speedy recovery." The statement also said it is premature to suggest the injury is career-threatening. Martina's doctor, Dr. Heinz Buehlmann, said: "This injury is complex. But I think the chances for recovery are good. In about three weeks she will be able to start light water training and careful cycling." Martina tore ligaments in her other (right) ankle at the Porsche Grand Prix last October, after which she lost the #1 ranking. Dr. Buehlmann also conducted surgery to repair that injury, which kept Martina out of action until January of this year. Until this injury, Martina had played in 29 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments without a miss since turning pro in October 1994.
(May 20, 2002) After performing a 90-minute repair operation on Martina Hingis' left ankle, Dr. Heinz Buehlmann told Swiss radio: "The operation went well and I’m very pleased... Martina’s foot is stabilized but it could take six to eight weeks to heal." But he added that "If the inflammation persists, the prognosis will not be good," and he would wait until the post-operative swelling subsided before making an assessment of Martina's tennis future. A lone report from The Guardian states that Buehlmann was also to remove a bone spur in Martina's heel, and is worried that she may have inflammation in the heel bone. However, Mario Widmer, (Martina's mother's companion who acts as Martina's personal manager) has been quoted as saying that speculation about Martina's retirement was "not only premature at the present moment but also completely exaggerated."
(May 25, 2002) Sergio Tacchini Letter to Martina Hingis: Italian sportswear group Sergio Tacchini is threatening to sue Martina Hingis and her mother, Melanie Molitor, because of statements that her injury may have been caused by the Sergio Tacchini shoes Martina wore from the start of her career until a 1998 foot injury. After that injury, Martina began wearing adidas shoes, in violation of her Tacchini contract, and in the spring of 1999 she switched her endorsement agreement to adidas. Last year Hingis sued Sergio Tacchini for $40 million, alleging that she was given defective shoes that were "unsuitable for competition."
(June 29, 2002) Martina Hingis participated in an online chat session yesterday, Friday, June 28th, at Wimbledon. Asked about her injury recovery, and when she would be back on court, Martina said: "I haven't set a date yet for my comeback. NO time frame. I did see my doctor here and all is doing good but it has only been 5 weeks since my surgery. I don't want to rush anything and jeopardise the rest of the season." Martina also remarked that she was enjoying watching tennis during her recovery. Regarding her frequent doubles partner, Anna Kournikova (who is currently playing with Chanda Rubin), Martina said: "I am still in contact with Anna and I hope to play with her again. But right now I focus on my comeback in singles."
(July 7, 2002) Concerning her injury recovery, Martina Hingis said "I haven't set a date for a comeback... There's no time frame. I saw my doctor, and all is going well, but I don't want to rush anything and jeopardise the rest of the season... I must be careful in building up my muscles again. In Florida, I trained on the tennis courts. I also ride my bike, and run."
(July 13, 2002) The WTA has released a statement declaring that Martina Hingis will miss the US Open (and several pre-Open tournaments) as she recovers from her surgery for torn left ankle ligaments. Martina has already missed the French Open and Wimbledon this year, but was generally expected to be healthy in time for the US Open (Aug. 26-Sept. 8), particularly since she has been training on tennis courts and the Open is over 6 weeks away. The WTA statement says:
Martina Hingis has been forced to withdraw from the Acura Classic (San Diego, CA), the JP Morgan Chase Open presented by Audi (Los Angeles, CA) and the Rogers AT&T Canada Cup (Montreal, Canada) due to continued rehabilitation from surgery on a left ankle injury that has sidelined her since May 2002. Representatives for Hingis also indicated that the former World #1 would not submit an application to play in the US Open by the July 15 entry deadline.
(July 17, 2002) Martina Hingis has contradicted the WTA statement that she would not play in the US Open this year, and says she might play after all, by invitation, if she is fit to play. In the Swiss newspaper Sonntags Zeitung, Martina said: "I’ve chosen to leave things alone because I don’t want to set a fixed date for my return to competitive tennis... But the possibility that I can play in Flushing Meadows is realistic enough. I still have over five weeks for preparation and surely there is a possibility I can play in New York... The recovery of my ankle injury is going satisfactorily and I can more or less play tennis twice a day."
(August 5, 2002) Martina Hingis is ready to return to playing tennis, and has requested a wild card entry to the US Open, which begins August 26th. She will also likely play in the Rogers AT&T Canada Cup in Montreal next week, and in the Pilot Pen in New Haven August 19-25. Hingis advisor (and her mother Melanie Molitor's companion) Mario Widmer said: "Martina's condition has improved enormously. It's fairly certain that she will be back in Montreal next week and also ready for the [Pilot Pen tournament] in New Haven." Widmer also said that Martina's participation in the tournaments was still "not definite". Martina has not played in a tournament since May 5th, due to a torn ligament in her left ankle that required surgery (see below).
(August 13, 2002) After a 1st-round bye, 6th seeded Martina Hingis defeated #53 Magui Serna 6-4, 6-3 on Tuesday in the 2nd round of the Rogers AT&T Canada Cup in Montreal. Martina converted on her 3rd break point of the final game of the surprisingly close 1st set, and broke Serna at 3-2 in the 2nd set. Martina said: "The ankle felt fine... She made a lot of mistakes in the beginning... It wasn't obviously the best tennis I ever played... I felt good." Five of the top-ten-ranked players are at this tournament, with Jennifer Capriati, Jelena Dokic, Kim Clijsters, and Justine Henin seeded ahead of Martina. #1 Serena Williams withdrew from the tournament on Tuesday, citing acute tendinitis in her left knee. Not surprisingly, Martina is not playing doubles at this tournament.
(August 15, 2002) #8 Martina Hingis defeated #37 Clarisa Fernandez 6-4, 6-2 Thursday evening in the 3rd round of the Rogers AT&T Canada Cup. In a very close 1st set, Martina broke Fernandez only once to make it 3-2, and that game was a major see-saw battle. Martina broke Clarisa to open the 2nd set, and broke her a 2nd time to make it 5-2, then served to finish the match. Martina said: "It was definitely an improvement from my first match, a much better level... Sometimes it still feels a little funny being out there, but it's getting better every match."
The Swiss newspaper Blick quotes Martina's mother, Melanie Molitor, as stating that Martina's participation in the US Open is still not a sure thing. When asked whether Martina will play, Molitor said: "That is difficult to say... She needs to simply practice and play in other tournaments. Martina has had no problems with the foot, not even the day after playing. But now she must just play tennis to strengthen the ankle." However, on Thursday Martina was granted a wild card entry for the US Open.
(August 17, 2002) #5 Jelena Dokic defeated #8 Martina Hingis 6-4, 6-3 Friday night in a quarterfinal of the Rogers AT&T Canada Cup in Montreal. Jelena broke Martina just once in the 1st set at 5-4, and once in the 2nd set (results -- singles draw).
Martina said: "I was sometimes a little slow. She played well from both sides... She is in a tournament routine and that is what I need to get back to... I didn't have the patience to stay in the long points and that's what I have to do... Over-all, I'm happy with my play this week... I did some things good and some things not so good and I know I have work to do."
In her postmatch interview after losing to Jennifer Capriati in a QF on Friday, Justine Henin indicated that she had been practicing with Martina Hingis in Florida before the event. A computer translation of Justine's French remarks reads: "...I was over there fifteen days and conditions were ideal... [and the] people, very accessible. I think that [practicing in Florida] is ideal before going to play [in the] heat. Therefore, I will go there again in December, before Australia."
(August 19, 2002) Martina Hingis defeated #18 Anna Smashnova 6-4, 6-4 in the 1st-round of the Pilot Pen Open Monday night in New Haven, Connecticut. Martina led 5-0 in the 2nd set, and struggled through 6 match points before finishing Smashnova off. Martina said: "I think this year I have a little match point problem... I had to look for the strategy of her... I realized I really had to fight and earn it... It's not that I felt I played badly when I had my opportunities, but I just couldn't finish it... I thought I was playing really well when we had the long rallies, but all of a sudden, well. She just stopped missing."
(August 21, 2002) Martina Hingis defeated #32 Alexandra Stevenson 7-5, 6-4 on Wednesday in the 2nd round of the Pilot Pen Open. Martina said: "I feel more comfortable out there now... I'm not afraid. I know what I can play. Right now, I'll just take any match, any challenge. I probably didn't play my best, but I won... When I needed to step it up I was able to do so."
(August 23, 2002) #16 Anastasia Myskina defeated #8 Martina Hingis 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-0 Thursday evening in a quarterfinal at the Pilot Pen Open in New Haven. Anastasia was down 1-4 and a break point in the 2nd set that would have left Martina serving for the match. But Myskina then won the final 11 games, and had five aces in her last two service games.
Martina said: "Of course fatigue was a factor... Until a set and 4-1 I felt okay, but I was already trying to finish it off... I can be happy with the way I played... I lasted a set and a half and played really well until then, compared to last week." Myskina had upset #7 Justine Henin 7-5, 6-2 on Wednesday. In their only previous meeting, on Oct. 9, 2000 in Zurich, Martina defeated Anastasia 6-0, 6-4. Martina was not playing doubles in this tournament.
(August 27, 2002) 9th seed Martina Hingis defeated #53 Marissa Irvin 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in the 1st round of the US Open on Tuesday. Martina pulled out the win in this very close match despite hitting 31 unforced errors against 21 winners, and converting only 6 of 15 break point chances, while she was broken 5 times herself by Irvin. In addition, Martina's average 1st serve speed was only 79 MPH, subpar for her. Martina said she had no pain in her ankle, but it does not feel strong yet: "Well, you know, it's like physically you have those ups and downs. Mentally, you know, when you're physically not up to it, you just tend to tighten up. I was real nervous when I walked on the court and the first few, you know, points and games, then I started feeling better." (match statistics -- postmatch interview -- interview on Real Video).
(August 28, 2002) 5th seeds Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova defeated Tatiana Perebiynis and Tatiana Poutchek 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 in the 1st round of doubles at the US Open on Wednesday (match statistics). Anna and Martina will play Americans Laura Granville and Jennifer Hopkins in the 2nd round, not before Saturday (doubles draw.
(August 29, 2002) 9th seed Martina Hingis defeated qualifier #120 Antonella Serra Zanetti 6-4, 6-1 on Thursday in the 2nd round of the US Open.
Martina said: "I played her bigger sister in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open so I knew, you know, pretty much what I was going into. I watched her play a little bit also like a few times in practice. I knew she had a good backhand and a little weaker forehand. Yeah, that kind of worked, just playing her forehand, just attack the serve" (postmatch interview text, Real Video -- match statistics).
(August 31, 2002) 9th seed Martina Hingis defeated #34 Amanda Coetzer 6-3, 6-4 Saturday night in the 3rd round of the US Open (match statistics). Martina said she was playing "A lot better. You know, I think like if I wouldn't play the way I played today, you know, hanging in those long rallies, I probably would have had a lot of trouble against her... Every day passing by, I feel like I'm improving, better every match. I think I played pretty good today... With her, she's a very speedy player. She always gets the shots which sometimes would be a winner, but then she has nothing really to hurt me with... It was a good test today."
After Martina and Amanda played Saturday, s3 Jennifer Capriati defeated s30 Meghann Shaughnessy on the same court, and after that match Martina and Anna Kournikova defeated Laura Granville and Jennifer Hopkins 6-1, 6-2 in the 2nd round of doubles (match statistics).
(Sept. 3, 2002) s6 Monica Seles defeated 9th seed Martina Hingis 6-4, 6-2 Tuesday in the 4th round of the US Open. After Monica broke Martina's serve to open the 1st set, Martina broke back in the 4th game to put it back on serve. But she could not hold on. Martina said: "Monica played well today. I have to give her credit... Against Amanda I thought I had played a better match. Then in the doubles. But against the top players, it still needs to, you know, to get a notch better." Seles won every break point she had against Martina, but Martina could only convert 2 of 6 break points against Monica. And although 65% of Martina's 1st serves were good, she won only an abysmal 38% of her points on 1st serve (match statistics-- postmatch interview -- singles draw).
Tuesday afternoon Martina and Anna Kournikova defeated Chanda Rubin and Natasha Zvereva 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the 3rd round of doubles. (match statistics).
(Sept. 4, 2002) 2nd seeds Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suarez defeated 5th seeds Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova 6-3, 6-3 in a doubles quarterfinal Wednesday at the US Open. After suffering an early service break in the 1st set, Martina and Anna broke back in the 6th game to even the set at 3-3. But Suarez and Pascual won the next 3 games to take the set. The 2nd set was similar. After dropping behind a break early, Martina and Anna broke back in the 7th game, and were serving at 3-4. But Suarez and Pascual broke back immediately, and then held to finish out the match. Martina and Anna seem to have been flat today, hitting only 2 winners (vs 8 unforced errors) for the match, and winning only 38% of the points on their 1st serves (match statistics -- doubles draw).
(Sept. 24, 2002) New York State Supreme Court Justice Sherry Klein Heitler has dismissed a $40 million lawsuit that Martina Hingis filed against Italian sportswear manufacturer Sergio Tacchini, ruling that New York is the wrong place to try the case. Martina has also sued Tacchini in Milan, and that action is still pending. In granting the motion to dismiss, Judge Heitler said that the Milan lawsuit concerned the same issues as the New York one, and it would be "unjust, unfair and inconvenient" to require the defendant to answer in New York. Martina signed a 5-year, $5.6 million contract with Tacchini in 1996, but at the 1998 US Open she stated that the she had suffered a severe foot injury because Tacchini had outfitted her with defective shoes that were unsuitable for competition. By mid-1999 Martina had been released from the Tacchini contract and had signed a contract to use adidas shoes and sportswear instead. For more on this, see May 25, 2002 in the Hingis News Archive.
(Sept. 30, 2002) #169 Nadia Petrova of Russia upset 5th-seeded #10 Martina Hingis 6-2, 6-2 on Monday in the 1st round of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. The match lasted only 45 minutes, during which Martina had 30 unforced errors (to 21 for Petrova). Many of these came on net approaches, where Martina won only 1 out of 16 points (match statistics). This was Martina's first match after a 3-week post-US Open break, and happened to fall on Martina's 22nd birthday. Martina said: "I had certain problems with my service today, while Nadia was serving pretty well, preventing me from catching the rhythm of the game... It was my first indoor tournament after the injury and definitely not my best day." (singles draw).
Martina is NOT playing doubles in this tournament. She is scheduled to play in the Porsche Grand Prix of Tennis in Filderstadt, Germany (Oct. 7). Martina has won the title in Filderstadt four out of the last six years. Her schedule then will take her to the Swisscom Challenge in Zurich (Oct.14), and the Generali Ladies Linz (Austria, Oct. 21).
(Oct. 8, 2002) 7th-seeded #10 Martina Hingis defeated #41 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain 6-4, 6-2 on Tuesday in the 1st round of the Porsche Grand Prix in Filderstadt, Germany. Martina said: "You can see in my game that I'm still missing a little speed, which you need on these fast indoor courts. And maybe I'm missing a little stamina, too."
(Oct. 9, 2002) #10 Martina Hingis will play #22 Elena Dementieva of Russia on Thursday in the 2nd round of the Porsche Grand Prix in Filderstadt, Germany. This will be the 2nd match of the day on Centre Court, with the 1st match beginning at 1 PM local time (4 AM PT, 7 AM ET). The PGP website has no live scoring, you can look for the final score here, at the PGP draw page, or at the WTA.com results page. Martina is not playing doubles in this tournament.
(Oct. 10, 2002) #22 Elena Dementieva of Russia defeated #10 Martina Hingis 6-3, 6-1 on Thursday in the 2nd round of the Porsche Grand Prix in Filderstadt, Germany. Martina, who looked "rusty" in the match, said: "I feel quite a bit better than last week and for six games I was able to keep it up, and after that I was a little flat, a little tired. But there was no reason for that. A match lasts two sets, not just six games. I played pretty well until a certain point, and then I was rushing too much and trying to make the points too quickly. In the second set it was more like a blackout. I just started hitting and wasn't really thinking much out there about what I was doing." Martina is not playing doubles in this tournament.
Incredible as it may seem (and impossible without the injuries), Martina will drop out of the WTA top 10 next week, being passed by Daniela Hantuchova.
(Oct. 11, 2002) Martina Hingis announced in a news conference Friday that she has withdrawn from all tournaments for the rest of the 2002 WTA season. This means she will miss next week's Swisscom Challenge in Zurich (Oct.14), the Generali Ladies Linz (Austria, Oct. 21), and the Sanex WTA Championships (Los Angeles, Nov. 4). Martina said: "I will not play any more tournaments this year. I need to free my mind... I'm in close contact with the doctor and I will make my decision on the basis of his suggestions." Martina also said she has started her comeback from torn ligaments too soon, and "In order to catch up, I had to train up to five hours a day. So I neglected the therapy I needed after the operation... This created a downward spiral... in a sport where spirit and self-confidence are very important. I decided I need some time to clear my head... " Asked whether she would play in the 2003 Australian Open, Martina said: "That is not decided, that remains open, I have set myself no dates." Martina also said: "At the moment I am not capable of reaching the level that I expect of myself, and I apologize to the public and my sponsors.
Martina further remarked: "The tournaments in Moscow and Filderstadt have shown me that at present I can't play the level of tennis that I owe the public, the sponsors and also myself. My body isn't yet ready for the commitment that's necessary to succeed on the Sanex WTA Tour. I probably pushed myself too hard in forcing my comeback after the second operation, I wanted to get back to the top too much and thereby probably didn't do enough rehab and preparation. This physical deficit is now coming back to haunt me... I just want to get fully fit first before I make further plans."
(Oct. 15, 2002) Martina Hingis attended the Swisscom Challenge in Zurich today, signing autographs for fans and visiting with guests. This would seem to counter stories which recklessly imply that she is finished with tennis for good. The WTA, on the other hand, has downplayed Martina's injury recovery break, not even mentioning it on their website.
(Nov. 5) Martina Hingis is at the WTA Championships in LA this week. Although she is not playing, Martina was participating in charity events on Monday including a fashion show and a fundraising dinner, and on Tuesday was signing autographs and being interviewed at the tournament's "media day".
(Nov. 17, 2002) While she was "just visiting" (due to recurring ankle injuries) at the WTA Championships last week, Martina Hingis gave an interview which was not picked up by the AP or Reuters.
Martina said that just reaching the QFs or SFs of major tournaments wouldn't satisfy her: "I don't think that would be good enough for me because I know I'm better than that... The players are getting better and this year I was okay at a certain level, but not good enough for the top. When you are used to being at the top, that's tough."
About her recovery, Martina said: "I haven't set a timetable... I'm not going to put myself under pressure right now. I'm taking it one step at a time. I've been trying to clear my head and doing things I like to do - running, biking and horse back riding. I've been taking things slow and easy. I've been playing tennis with mom and friends two or three times a week, but no hard practices. There's less stress and pressure. Now, I actually enjoy not having a schedule... It's been so hectic, four years at the top and a pro since 1994. My body didn't hold up. This year I experienced a real down as a professional. I can't do what I need to do when I'm out there. That's why I feel it's better for me and everybody for me not to play because it's not possible for me to play the way I used to. Physically, I can't do it."
About physical vs. mental stress, Martina said: "It's combined. If you can't do it physically you're not up for it mentally... I'm hesitating. In practice, I'm fine, but once on the court you know you have to chase certain balls down and if you can't, it's frustrating. The level gets better almost each month. For three months, tennis went on without me."
Martina was to return to Switzerland this week, and check in with her doctor (probably still Dr. Heinz Buehlmann of Zurich, who operated on Martina's torn ligaments last May).
Martina said that if her ankles do recover completely, she will intensify her training schedule: "If my body would allow it, I would do it, its just not the case at this point. My body won't allow it."
(Dec. 1, 2002) Martina Hingis is not entered the 2003 adidas International (in Sydney, Australia, Jan. 5-11), leading to speculation that she will not play in the Australian Open. However, tournament director Craig Watson said: "We're holding out a wild card for her because she was very committed to Sydney and very successful here." Martina is the reigning champion of the event, which she also won in 2001 and 1997.
(Dec. 5, 2002) Reuters reports that Martina Hingis is entered to play in the Australian Open (January 13-26), and has entered the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Japan (January 28 at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium) as well.
(Dec. 15, 2002) Although Martina Hingis has unfortunately withdrawn from the Australian Open, organizers of the Toray Pan Pacific Open (in Tokyo, Jan. 28) say that Martina is still entered, and they hope she will play. Martina has released no personal statements about these events, but on Tuesday, Dec. 10, Australian Open spokesman John Lindsay said: "She notified us today that she won't be recovered in time to compete." On Wednesday, Dec. 11, Pan Pacific organizers said: "At this stage, Hingis is still listed among the official entrants and still scheduled to play... People who have pulled out of the Australian Open have still played here in the past, so we are hopeful she will play."
(Dec. 22, 2002) Martina Hingis has withdrawn from the Pan Pacific Open (in Tokyo, Jan. 28), making is very uncertain when she will return to competition. In 2002, Martina took 3 weeks off after the Pan Pacific; her next tournament was the State Farm Women's Tennis Classic in Scottsdale, AZ. In 2003, that tournament will begin on Feb. 24.
(Dec. 26, 2002) Although Martina Hingis is currently out of action, she does still get around. A few nice new photos of Martina can be found at the Omega Watch website, where there are pics of Martina and Anna Kournikova at the inauguration of the Casino in Lugano, Switzerland on November 29, 2002.
Note: Links to news stories on some other websites may expire with time, others maintain the links indefinitely.
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