However, she is not without a blotch on her record. Martina came within a whisker of completing the Grand Slam - that is winning all four major championships in the same year - but failed to do so in 1997 when she lost a memorable French Open final to Iva Majoli. It is unlikely that she will ever come so close again, given the highly improved standard of players on the tour. But on a consolatory note, it is highly conceivable that she will eventually win at Roland Garros some time in the not-too-distant future, and complete her ever-expanding resume.
What is great about Martina's game is that it is so distinct from any of the other players on tour. With an ever-increasing emphasis on power, Martina has proven the critics wrong that you need one big powerful weapon in order to reach the top in the game. Sure, Lindsay Davenport, Venus and Serena Williams, Monica Seles, and Mary Pierce - the biggest hitters in the game - are all in the top 10, but it is Martina who is #1, and she lacks what the others have in power. She is much more than a mere counter puncher. While she does feed off the power her opponents supply, she tries to use their power to her own advantage in order to create opportunities for winners. The most defining aspect of Martina's game is her ability to use her thinking power on court and her powers of anticipation which are remarkable for someone who has been on tour for such a considerably short period of time. She has the uncanny ability to anticipate an opponent's every shot, and she is also prepared to change up the game if something is not working for her. This fluid all-court game was honed very succinctly by her coach and mother Melanie Molitor, and it is this all-court game which has given Martina the flexibility to win matches on different surfaces such as grass and clay. It has also given her the flexibility to play a confident game from the back court or the front court. Without a big weapon, life on court has been a small struggle for Martina, however, her powers of placement are absolutely precise. This is seen very clearly in her serve which, compared to the other girls in the top 10, lacks a lot of force, but it is her ability to mix the placement with different spins which gets her a few free points on serve and even allows her to hold serve quite easily. If one had to choose a single shot from the Martina repertoire, it would be the two handed backhand down the line, which is perhaps the best shot in tennis today. The backhand down the line is typically a very difficult shot to direct, especially with the two-hands which usually forces a player to hit cross court. But there is no one on tour who hits a more precise and a more fluid backhand down the line than Martina, and it allows her to open up a lot more court than the average player. Her net play is impeccable and it is her powers of anticipation at the net which have helped her capture seven major doubles championships, including the Doubles Grand Slam in 1998. Above all, Martina's mental strength is unbelievable for someone as young as 18. The pressure of the situation does not affect Martina's game at all and it is this characteristic which has helped her win multiple majors. She is a fighter and she will not readily give up on matches without putting in a great amount of effort.
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