Hello, everyone! I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately. Life sometimes overtakes you, and before you know it, you are lost and have a hard time finding your way back. Well, I'm happy to report I'm back.
Last time we spoke, I gave you some perspectives on some of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour players. I was planning on giving you some more, but time and space just didn't make it. My apologies to Jelena Jankovic and Mashona Washington. I appreciate your kind responses and wish I could have turned them into something wonderful. I will keep an eye on you all season and promise you will make it into this column sometime in 2006.
Speaking of the WTA Tour, my favorite player, and clearly the story of the year so far, is Martina Hingis. Yes, Amelie Mauresmo has been on a tear, just winning everything in site, and she does now have a major win under her belt. But clearly, Martina's quick rise in the rankings and her consistent appearances in quarters, semis, and finals already show that she can play on the tour. I suspect she will win a tournament or two very soon.
Hingis proclaimed in Dubai this week, "it is not a comeback anymore." Martina made this statement following her 6-4, 6-3 beating of Anastasia Myskina in the early rounds of the tournament. Hingis sliced and diced Myskina up, showing that she can handle all the power and that she still has the cunning and skills to beat any of the top players. After all the hype, after all the discussion about how the power now would overwhelm Hingis in her return, Hingis has shown them all wrong.
Yes, there have been moments, like her defeat at the hands of Elena Dementieva a few weeks ago, that seem to support the claim. (I still can't believe that Hingis lost to the only woman on tour in the top 25 who has a weaker serve than herself.) I'm going to chalk that up to nerves and her lack of matches. Dementieva can certainly be devastating when her groundies are humming, and her two major final appearances show that she has enough game to be dangerous. All that said, she still should not have been any match for Martina.
There are no top tour players who are consistent. If you watch the matches, if you break the games down, you will find that most of the losses on tour come when players commit way too many unforced errors. Even Mauresmo, who is more consistent than most, loses more matches by unforced errors than just by getting beaten by someone clearly better on any given day. Which, of course, is why Hingis should be cleaning up even more than she is. With injuries always looming, Hingis' physical and mental consistency should have her just running through these draws to the finals. Mary Pierce basically ruled last year, and Hingis has more game. Lindsay Davenport ruled the past two years, and Hingis has more variety and better skills.
So why then, why isn't she number one already? Simple. She doesn't have the fire in the belly. She no longer has the desire. Her tennis has passion, but isn't passionate. It's clear to see that Martina is back in a serious way. She still gives her best every day. She fights as hard or harder than them all, but it is clear that she has matured. Hingis will take being the semifinalist or finalist now. You will never see outbursts like her fateful French Open loss that time when she sulked and cried after losing. You won't see it, because Martina is willing to accept less than number one.
I'm not sure how I feel about that, or if it really matters. I just know it is the way things are. I hope Martina realizes this soon, as well. Martina, remember, while it is always fun to be the bridesmaid, the one who has the most fun is, of course, the bride.
February 24, 2006
Marc James:
I don’t really agree on your point that Hingis lacks the fire. Just because she doesn’t throw temper tantrums means she’s lost the fire? Maybe she’s matured, grown up, and is past those antics. Also, I think if she lacked the fire as you say, she wouldn’t have battled back to championship form as she has so quickly. I think her comeback is a testament to the fire she has.
February 24, 2006
Tennyson:
I think that Hingis has more desire now than she had in the latter part of her career before she retired. It seems to me (from what Martina has said in interviews, etc.,) that she really wants to show the tennis world that she can beat the power players that were starting to give her trouble before she retired.
February 24, 2006
Leo:
Hi,
I agree with you Tom, I think Martina only need more time and maybe, more ritm.. she look good and happy, and the better the class and smart game!
February 24, 2006
Balaji:
I am sure Martina Hingis’s performance in the coming years will be good. I have seen personally the match between Maria Sharapova and Hingis in Dubai Open which is absoltuely an exmaple how Hingis improved her game and there are not much unforced errors in her game compared to maria.
February 26, 2006
Tom Kosinski:
Once you accept less then the best, it becomes habitual. Martina doesn’t seem to be disappointed with any of her losses. I would have expected after the Dementieva match that she would have been a lot more outwardly bothered. But Martina just smiles.
Heck, she will be in the top 5 by the end of the year, but it won’t be with too many titles, nor will it be by virtue of winning a major. I
Martina has not done more then I expected she would. Maybe I was hoping for too much…
March 1, 2006
samantha:
I think you did a really good job but you need to toughen up yeah sure sometimes life throws you a curve ball but come on you have got to roll with the punches sister.
April 8, 2006
Mari:
Hi, Tom… Please do not feel disappointed, and why you should?! not eve Martina feels that way!!! Hey things are going better than expected!! and Yes! she is kind of “OK! Now I know I can do it! so it is now when her real fitting spirit will be shown and It officially begins!! At the beginning when I aw her lost Kim at the AusOpen, It was visible that Martina was surprises with her performance and she came up short, just like a rookie!! And that is normal for some who have out for so long, and be successful so quickly! Then at Tokyo, I see it this way, I imagine Hingis looking at the darw, and be mentally ready to at least make to the semis, where she was going to possibly face Pova, and her last goal was not winning the thing! (One step at a time, please1) her goal was more important! Was about beating POVA badly! (setting up a statement! That she did beat a strong-hard hitting player) that was a great achievement just a month after her comeback, and first time playing Famous Pova!…And the success continued (baby-steps! But strong and firm!!) beating Mirza and Myskina in Dubai and almost loosing that match against Pova! (again mental-stress should be consider!!) then the following week, third in arrow, she beats Schiavone (who has been playing great tennis so far since the end of last year) and also beats Kuszy (another Super-Power-Player + Great Mover) and just loosing in semis a great match, which by the way was a lot closer than whatever the score was, to THE WORLD’S NUMBER ONE!!… THEN, WHAT ABOUT BEATING DAVENPORT! (also that match was a mental battle! And physically as well) which I believe she applied the same set of goals as for Tokyo, like looking at the draw, and knowing the meaning of the tournament was just getting through Davenport!! And then by first time in the morning facing a fresh Pova! Who by the way did not blow out Hingis of the court! Was again a matter of key points which decided the match!! SO, COME ON!! SO FAR SO GOOD!! I imagine that not even fans, like us, were even thinking of such a comeback!!! And not even thinking that she will be playing singles either!! So, she came back! And she seems very sure that she wants this! And she has been very smart to be able to set achievable and reasonable goals for her in the short run! So that way it is mentally healthier for her and also for building up her confidence!! Which by the way it is a very important factor of her personality!! Also the factor of being out of the field for so long sometimes puts you in a “rookie” position or mentally type! Simple as, been able to “believe” in your self! That you belong to the top! (In her case believe in herslef! That she stills belongs to the top!) and also might be shocking for her that all these unexpected success have come so quickly!! So, hey! Do not throw the towel!! Just give her some time, let her breath and regroup!! (She has been playing week after week, day after day, since her first match!!! Something she hadn’t done in years!!) … And I forgot to mention that the only time that I felt disappointed since her come back, actually not disappointed, but sad! Was when she lost to Kuszy at the Nasdaq-100!! I was there I saw it “LIVE” and I could not believe it!! It was such a great match!! But just for one point! She lost that one! Hey, so what?! She lost to the eventual Champ!! In reality she could not close out that one, may be nerves, or may be Kuszy’s great fight back in the third! But what about Hingis fight in the Tie break! That was full “fighting spirit” every single ball! She did not give up! She saved 5 match points!!… So at the end of the day, that makes me think! Why should I be negative or sad?!?! No! no way! Lest be positive! And I truly believe she is committed and that she is the last person to be satisfied with just making quarters and semis!! But she is realistic about her goals and we also should be realistic and supportive!! :)