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Roll call of champions - Page 3

© Michael Cecilio

THE FINALISTS

VENUS WILLIAMS

• WTA Singles Ranking: #3
• Highest WTA Singles Ranking: #3
• After US Open: Will remain at #3, win or lose
• Career Singles Titles: 13
• Hardcourt (Outdoor) Titles: 6
• Grand Slam Singles Titles: 1 (Wimbledon 2000)
• 2000 WTA Singles Win-Loss Record: 31-3 (0.912)
• Win-Loss Record in Finals: 13-9
• Last Singles Title: 2000 Pilot Pen International, New Haven (Hard)
• 2000 Season Highlights (prior): WINNER – Wimbledon, Stanford, Los Angeles, New Haven
• Biggest Scalps of the Season: MARTINA HINGIS (Wimbledon, #1; US Open, #1), LINDSAY DAVENPORT (Wimbledon, #2; Stanford, #2), MONICA SELES (San Diego, #5; New Haven, #6)

LINDSAY DAVENPORT

• WTA Singles Ranking: #2
• Highest WTA Singles Ranking: #1
• After US Open: Will remain at #2 with a loss, will move up to #1 with a win
• Career Singles Titles: 28
• Hardcourt (Outdoor) Titles: 14
• Grand Slam Singles Titles: 3 (US Open 1998, Wimbledon 1999, Australian Open 2000)
• 2000 WTA Singles Win-Loss Record: 45-9 (0.833)
• Win-Loss Record in Finals: 28-16
• Last Singles Title: 2000 Tennis Masters Series, Indian Wells (Hard)
• 2000 Season Highlights (prior): WINNER – Australian Open, Indian Wells; FINALIST – Sydney, Scottsdale, Miami, Wimbledon, Stanford, Los Angeles
• Biggest Scalps of the Season: MARTINA HINGIS (Australian Open, #1; Indian Wells, #1), MONICA SELES (Scottsdale, #9; Wimbledon, #6; Stanford, #5), SERENA WILLIAMS (US Open, #6)

SEMI FINAL PREDICTIONS

1-Martina Hingis (1) versus 3-Venus Williams (3)
Head-to-Head Series: HINGIS leads 9-6
Last Meeting: 2000 Wimbledon (Grass) QF, WILLIAMS d. HINGIS 6-3 4-6 6-4
Hardcourt (Outdoor) Head-to-Head Series: HINGIS leads 6-2
Last Hardcourt (Outdoor) Meeting: 1999 US Open SF, HINGIS d. WILLIAMS 6-1 4-6 6-3
Three Set Head-to-Head Record: WILLIAMS leads 5-2
This promises to be an intriguing battle between two very contrasting girls. They are of different cultural backgrounds, different physical statures and different playing styles. The only things they share in common is a talent for the game of tennis and an unyielding desire to win at all costs. With that said, I have no idea who is going to win. It should be a close battle – seven of their fifteen previous meetings have gone three sets – and it could go either way. Williams is on an incredible winning streak and is up to #24 at last count, but Hingis is the form player throughout these championships as the only one of the semi finalists not to have dropped a set in these championships. And it hasn’t been a cakewalk draw for Hingis either with Testud and Seles in her quarter. I get the feeling that it is going to come down to who takes their chances on the big points and who can refrain from making the crucial error at an opportune time. Hingis has not had it all her way against power-hitters like Williams and if she is to beat Venus, she is going to have to be aggressive and take her chances instead of waiting for Williams to make the mistake. Because with Venus’s confidence at an all-time high, it just may not happen.

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