Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis
Martina Hingisis a Swiss professional tennis player who is currently ranked world No. 1 in doubles by the WTA. She spent a total of 209 weeks as the singles world No. 1 and has won five Grand Slam singles titles, twelve Grand Slam women's doubles titles, winning a calendar-year doubles Grand Slam in 1998, and five Grand Slam mixed doubles titles; for a combined total of twenty-two major titles. In addition, she has won the season-ending WTA Championships two times...
NationalityCzechoslovakian
ProfessionTennis Player
Date of Birth30 September 1980
CityKosice, Slovakia
This year I definitely have more matches than her -- that's a plus. Generally it's easier to play somebody like this first round than later in the draw. I have nothing to lose against Justine.
At my first press conference announcing that I was playing the game again they asked me who do you want to play that you haven't played before, and I'm like 'Of course, Maria' because she's a player that's gotten to the top winning Wimbledon at 17. I was just interested. I love playing her and hopefully we'll have many more matches.
She didn't really give me many chances. I just didn't get many opportunities to really do too much with balls. She doesn't make many errors, which she probably still did in Tokyo. Against her, you don't get away with much.
Although losing against Kim today, it just still gives me so much to look forward to because it was a tight match at the end.
I played some good tennis in Australia and it's good to be back in Tokyo. It's a new week against new opponents and we're all aiming to be the best.
I didn't expect to play her again so soon, and if she gets there it will be great.
Maria's strengths are her serve and that she is mentally tough. I have nothing to lose but to just go out and play my own game against her. I've wanted to play her since going into retirement.
I can be proud. You just can't think you're going to go out there and win everything. I lost only 6-4 in the third against the No. 1 player, so I don't think it's that bad. You think I'm going to give up right now?
In general, when you look at girls in the academies, they are just not taught that way. I think it's just because they're always so one-sided, playing with their coach or playing with their hitting partner. And you know, just boom, boom, boom all the time. I think it's also the problem of the coaches or parents, because they don't teach them different. I don't think it's (because of) the girls, because I think if you show them how to do it, how it's done, I think a lot of them, they would use more skill.
I know she's a little girl so she's not going to overpower me. I don't think she really has a big weapon but neither does she have a weakness.
I knew I had to come up with a great game and I did.
I knew (Pin) was not going to overpower me. Sometimes in the windy conditions you have to be very careful to overdo it and you have to work your point out there.
I knew that I had to be right there from the start. I knew I couldn't give her any momentum.
I'm just waiting for a wild card to play in the Australian Open . To face Anna will be a good test for me.