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Page 2
Martina Hingis is the world #1 player. Even with a loss today, she has accomplished something that she had not done in her stunning career to date – that is to beat the Williams sisters back-to-back in the same tournament. After handling Serena Williams 6-2 3-6 8-6 after being down a double break in the deciding set, she cruised against a self-destructive Venus Williams 6-1 6-1 in 53 minutes. The possibility of a letdown after two impeccable performances could be in question but when you’ve got the #1 player in a Grand Slam final, you would have to think that she will be refocused and hungry to win her first major in two years. The amazing talent has always been there but what let her down in the past against the Williams sisters was her fitness. She had lost a number of heartbreakers at the hands of Venus Williams in majors last year by being overpowered and unable to maintain the level she needed for a long three set match. Her fitness right now is probably better than it ever has been and that is going to be dangerous against anyone she plays.
The only way Jennifer is going to beat Martina today is by being aggressive and playing her power baseline game to perfection. There is nothing anyone can do about pinpoint accurate power groundstrokes and booming first serves and that is what Jennifer is going to have to produce today. She produced them against Lindsay and Monica in her previous two matches, however she is going to have a tougher time against Martina who moves considerably better and who will not make as many mistakes. She has nothing to lose so she should try to remain aggressive at all times, keep the ball deep, be patient while attacking at the right times and get a high number of first serves in. Her forehand is her main weapon and if she can get it going today, it is going to be incredibly tough for Martina to keep digging out those powerful, flat strokes. If she plays the same way as she did against Lindsay and Monica, she is going to give Martina a good match but in my opinion, she has to play even better in order to beat the #1 player. How she manages the situation will also play a factor. Although she is older, this is Jennifer’s first Grand Slam final of her career, compared with Hingis’s 11th. If she can control her nerves and go for her line drives, she will be in good stead for this match and title.
The copyright of the article Australian Open showdown: Martina vs Jennifer - Page 2 in Women's Tennis is owned by . Permission to republish Australian Open showdown: Martina vs Jennifer - Page 2 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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