Tennis: Australian Open: Martina Hingis's return to the game has given the draw here an extra dimension, but yesterday was a reminder of why she left in the first place.
Her failure to cope with the rise of power tennis three years ago resurfaced in the Rod Laver Arena when she struggled to close out her fourth-round match against Samantha Stosur, an Australian who has never won a singles title and has been ranked no higher than 44th in the world. Hingis eventually won 6-1, 7-5.
Kim Clijsters, who had battled through a physical 7-6, 6-4 against Francesca Schiavone without apparent ill effect, no doubt watched Hingis's match with increasing optimism in light of their quarter-final. Clijsters, whose participation here was in the balance because of a hip problem that triggered back troubles, has apparently sloughed off the injury and must once again be considered favourite.
In the opening set against the inexperienced Stosur, Hingis unveiled her full repertoire of loop, spin and angles. The double-fisted backhand down the line, her old trademark shot, was particularly effective and her coverage of the net re-ignited memories of those glorious days when touch was as important as pace. Here, briefly, was the women's answer to Roger Federer, or so the dreamers might have dreamed.
But Federer's multiple skills are backed up with a turbo charger, as he showed later last night in his five-set victory over Tommy Haas. There was that wonderful subtlety, but there was savage power as well.
Hingis lacks that; she can generate considerable pace off her opponent's shots, but in the second set, against a player reckoned to be one of the fittest on the WTA Tour, she notably lacked the killer blow when she chose to trade shots.
Clijsters, the US Open champion and world number two, will surely not be so generous. "I'm happy with the way everything is going, so I'm not complaining at all," she said after her match, although obviously all depends on how the inflammation is contained from day to day. "Hopefully nothing will flare up.
"It's been a long time since I played Martina and she's a great champion. Against Francesca I was going for my winners a bit too soon, and against Martina I will need to wait for the right time."
Whatever the outcome against Clijsters, this run by Hingis has been remarkable, and she was candid about her weaknesses. "Easy or tough, I take it as it comes, but I was a little tired and then I just started being short with my shots," she said.
"It was something I struggled with five years ago. I came through it today but I know I have to play better against Kim. She's the favourite and I'm just the underdog. But right now all that counts is that I made the last eight."
MEN'S SINGLES
Fourth round
(1) Roger Federer (Swi) bt Tommy Haas (Ger) 6-4 6-0 3-6 4-6 6-2, (5) Nikolay Davydenko (Rus) bt (12) Dominik Hrbaty (Svk) 4-6 4-6 6-4 6-2 6-3, (21) Nicolas Kiefer (Ger) bt Juan Ignacio Chela (Arg) 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 6-3, (25) Sebastien Grosjean (Fra) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (Fra) 7-5 6-2 6-2.
WOMEN'S SINGLES
Fourth round
(7) Patty Schnyder (Swi) bt (12) Anastasia Myskina (Rus) 6-2 6-1, (3) Amelie Mauresmo (Fra) bt (16) Nicole Vaidisova (Cze) 6-1 6-1, Martina Hingis (Swi) bt Samantha Stosur (Aus) 6-1 7-6 (10-8), (2) Kim Clijsters (Bel) bt (15) Francesca Schiavone (Ita) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.
