Martina Hingis: A New Beginning
Martina Hingis has won her first WTA title since her come back and it has been well deserved. It takes a brave person make a come back like Martina Hingis has done. Failure to win big titles will mean people questioning Hingis. For victories, battles have to be fought versus younger, faster legs.
Hingis has had a tough time in her come back. She was won matches but not titles. All the while though, she has kept up the tempo and kept on improving - the keenness she showed when she rose to the top has been ever present. Added to that is a positive attitude. For Hingis, this is a fairy tale as she probably never expected to play again. So she plays with lesser pressure, smiles more and thus plays much more freely while delivering her charecteristic strategic shot selection.
In a broadcast of Wimbledon a few years back on Star Sports, Vijay Amritraj asked Pam Shriver, the other half of the legendary doubles partnership of Navratilova-Shiver and winner of 5 Wimbledon doubles titles on why people come back. She said back then that the urge to play always exists for sports men and women. Those who retire early usually do come back again. This is why, she said that she thought Hingis would make an effort again a few years from now.
Hingis, for all her skills and trophies early in her career, did not face as much competition when she was winning the titles. Then, she was coming second versus the Williams sisters and injury had a part to play as well. If she had not made the come back she has now, history would look back at Hingis as a very good player but not a great one. This is the challenge in front of her - to win against younger opponents, make up for lost time and prove to all the doubters that she is one of the greats. Can Hingis accomplish? Your guess is as good as mine.
This is her tryst with destiny.
Tags: Martina Hingis, Pam Shriver.
