| Hingis Back at #1 | |
Dateline: 02/13/99
This week's WTA rankings return Martina Hingis to her number one position. She displaced Lindsay Davenport by winning her semifinal match against Jana Novotna at the Pan Pacific in Tokyo February 7, following Davenport's loss to Amanda Coetzer in the quarterfinals. Hingis now leads Davenport by 175 points. Read the full story here.
Hingis is off to a great start in 1999, winning 14 of her 15 matches thus far. She looked exceptionally strong against Coetzer in the Pan Pacific final, winning in just 44 minutes.
Hingis's quotes on regaining her number one status have been relatively tame. Part of her success seems to stem from an untempered confidence that allows her both to try any shot on court and any point of view off court. In CBS Sportsline's entertaining compilation of quotes from 1998, Hingis has to take the top ranking for outrageousness, with this one: "I'm glad you're doing this story on us and not on the WNBA. We're so much prettier than all the other women in sports."
Hingis's race with Davenport is all the more interesting because of the contrast between their personalities. While Hingis emits all manner of audacity and abrasiveness with the same huge smile she wears on court, Davenport is serious, sensitive, and thoughtful. Women's tennis has never had a more interesting cast of characters. Add to the mix the tremendous talent of the Williams sisters and the renewed determination of veterans Graf and Seles. We'll most certainly want to stay tuned.
