Martina Hingis News Archive, 2005 (Sports - Tennis)
Current Hingis News, Photos, & Links |
(Jan 7, 2005) Good News: Former WTA # 1 Martina Hingis, who last month announced that she will play the Volvo Women's Open in Pattaya, Thailand (Jan 31-Feb 6, 2005), now says she is considering a comeback. In an interview with Le Matin, Martina said: "The tournament is a test. I don't know how my body will react... I was a bit rusty, in the beginning [of training], with some pain in my calf muscles, but that is part of the game. The state of my preparation is a question of mental preparation above all." The outdoor hardcourt tourney has a $170,000 purse and a 32 player draw; Martina will be playing to raise money for several Thai charities. Martina's last WTA match was at the Kremlin Cup in October, 2002; she has won 76 WTA titles. |
(Jan 22, 2005) Q. "What do you think about the possible return of Martina Hingis?"
Lindsay Davenport said: "I was really saddened and disappointed when [Martina] stopped so young and so early. I've always had a good rivalry and a good friendship with her. I'd like nothing more than to see her back, playing at the top and being competitive out here." interview
Venus Williams said: "I always thought it was sad that [Martina] retired in the first place. And I just think that if she can come back and if she can make it, that would be very, first of all, good for tennis, and obviously good for her. But in the end it just matters that she's happy. She's really a nice person." interview
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(Jan 27, 2005) 24-year-old former WTA # 1 Martina Hingis arrived at Don Muang airport in Bangkok, Thailand on Thursday,, and was taken from there to Pattaya for the Volvo Women's Open which begins on Jan 31. If Martina does well, without the pain in her ankles which caused her to retire in 2002, she might return to the WTA Tour. Martina leaving the Bangkok airport |
 Martina with the key to Pattaya City |
(Jan 31, 2005) 24-year-old former WTA # 1 Martina Hingis will play just-turned-25-years-old # 74 Marlene Weingartner of Germany in the 1st round of the Volvo Women's Open in Pattaya City, Thailand, on Tuesday, not before 6pm local time. Martina has reportedly been training 2 hours a day on court for about 4 months now, plus some gym time. One of her two male sparring partners in Pattaya City, Alex Koch said: "[Martina] wanted a guy who can run around a lot and not get tired. Someone who could hit hard, too... She’s fit alright. It’s been awesome practice for me." Marlene probably wishes she could be playing anyone else instead; losing is never any fun, but this time winning would not make her any friends (and since Marlene has a Wesley Chapel, Florida home not far from Martina's part-time Florida residence, she might know Martina fairly well). Happy birthday, Marlene. Martina held a press conference on Sunday (photo shown). Martina said: "As a competitor and athlete, I always want to win. But I hope my body will last and hold up and help me to come through. You miss being out there in a Grand Slam final... It's a big difference between staying on court and commenting for TV. I miss it a lot." |
 Martina sending a forehand to Marlene |
(Feb 1, 2005) On Tuesday in Pattaya City, Thailand, just turned 25 years old # 74 Marlene Weingartner of Germany defeated 24-year-old former WTA # 1 Martina Hingis 1-6, 6-2, 6-2. No one in the world has a prettier smile than Martina, and she smiled as they gave her flowers before the match, smiled as she lost points, and it was good to see in the photos that she was still smiling as she shook hands with Marlene and left the court. It was Martina's 1st WTA match in over 2 years. Although she did not complain of pain in her ankles, which had caused her to retire in 2002, the result did not encourage her to return to the WTA Tour. Before leaving the tour, Martina won 40 WTA singles titles and 36 doubles, and was the youngest # 1 in WTA history. Martina said: "It was a nice experience playing out there again and coming here for a good cause. It's always been my intention to play a couple of exhibition matches again and it just happened that this one was in a sanctioned tournament. It's not my intention right now to play any more tournaments... The thing I've learned the most is that the physical side of things have really improved. I was moving well out there tonight, but it takes so much energy to keep the focus up for three sets and it was just a bit too much for me tonight, where I am right now with my game... |
 Martina congratulating Marlene |
"I think [Marlene] was a little afraid at the start and wasn't playing that well, but once she got going in the second set and relaxed more, she started dictating a lot of rallies. She raised her level and I couldn't raise mine anymore once she started playing a lot better. It goes without saying that she was a little better prepared than me as she's been playing week in week out while I haven't played a tournament for 28 months... "I'm going to stay here for a few more days, relax, enjoy the weather, and I'm looking forward to continuing my charity work and to visit Phuket and giving something back to the poor people who were devastated in the tsunami disaster." Marlene said: "It was a very special moment out there tonight playing against one of the greatest players ever. It was difficult to prepare the last few days with all the media attention and the circumstances surrounding it. I was nervous at the start, but as the match went on, I found my rhythm and actually ended up playing one of my best matches ever... I still think [Martina] could come back and be a top player, if she kept on playing and got her rhythm back." WTA story |
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(Feb 2, 2005) A story in Australia's Sydney Morning Herald has provided some additional details about Martina Hingis' trip to Thailand. Martina is indeed traveling, as she used to, with her mother and coach, Melanie Molitor, and also with her manager (and her mother's longtime companion) Mario Widmer. Although some stories have emphasized that Martina has been training heavily for a return to WTA tennis, Widmer says not. Before Martina's loss, Widmer said: "She has not trained professionally enough to trust her feet; she would have to do a lot more. For the past few weeks she has practised every day a little, one hour or two. But she has done almost no physical training. She's playing for charity."
Martina did not receive a "special ranking" for the event because she did not ask for one. Before Martina's loss, Tournament director Geoffrey Rowe said: "I've got a girl from Switzerland in the draw who doesn't have a ranking. She asked for a wildcard. She could have asked for a protected ranking if she was going to make a serious return but she has not done that... Say she wins this tournament, then she might start thinking about it."
(Feb 3, 2005) In Tokyo, at the Pan Pacific Open, current WTA # 1 Lindsay Davenport again reponded to reporter's questions about a Martina Hingis comeback. Lindsay said: "I was always extremely disappointed when she stopped playing so early. We had a nice rivalry and were very friendly off the court. I hope she comes back... Ultimately I think she would be successful."
About Martina's loss to Marlene Weingartner in Pattaya City, Lindsay said: "I was just surprised by the result. Martina was the smartest player I ever played against and obviously she's a great player... I was under the impression it was kind of the start of a comeback. But now it seems she's a little bit ambivalent about if she's going to play more."
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(Feb 4, 2005) Martina Hingis, in an interview with The Times of London, said she is still considering a return to the WTA Tour, although doubtfully. Martina's ankles, which had caused her to leave the tour in October, 2002, did not hurt during or after her loss to Marlene Weingartner in Pattaya, Thailand, this week, and, importantly, her ankles did not hurt the following morning either. The real question now is whether or not Martina wants to put in the hard work required to get into Tour match condition physically, and to stay in that condition. Martina has never enjoyed practice particularly. Unlike her friends Anna Kournikova and Monica Seles, who love to play tennis for its own sake, Martina loves to win, not to practice. But to win would require a lot of practice, and she is not sure she is up for it. Martina played table tennis in Thailand on Friday |
Martina said: "It’s hard to get away from what I’m doing now because my standard of living is so high — it’s difficult to sacrifice all those things. I’m not saying it’s better now, it’s different. I had a high standard of living on tour, I’d fly in private planes, stay in the best hotels, best resorts, travel the world. But work five or six hours a day?... The last couple of years I’ve done things the way I want to. If it’s tennis, it has got to become your life and nothing else. For a young woman, you either accept it or you leave it. At the moment, mentally, I don’t think I’m ready for that."
Martina will be playing an exhibition in Antwerp, Belgium, agaist former WTA # 1 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, on Sunday, Feb. 13th. Coincidentally, Martina's last WTA match victory was against Arantxa, 6-4, 6-2 on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2002 in Filderstadt, Germany. After losing 3-6, 1-6 to then # 22 Elena Dementieva in the 2nd round, Martina withdrew from the rest of the 2002 season due to the pain in her ankles, and did not return until this week.
Joking about alternatives to the WTA, Martina said: "I’d have to call up Anna [Kournikova] — ‘Hey! you want to start our own tour?'" Please do, Martina.
Still, Martina has not completely ruled out the WTA Tour. But, Martina said: "It would take so much more to really play the best out there. I know exactly what I would need to do to get better."
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(Feb 7, 2005) Martina Hingis traveled to Patong Beach on the island of Phuket, Thailand, today, and surveyed damage done by the recent tsunami. Martina observed work being done to restore beach area shops and restaurants, then visited the Patong Municipality School where she met about 50 children who had lost their parents in the tsunami. Martina said: "Seeing the kids who have lost so much is what really stands out from my week in Thailand. But also seeing the things which were destroyed - the streets and the beach, and the atmosphere. It's so quiet. You really want people to come back, but it would be better if people were able to come and help somehow instead of just sitting on the beach. That would feel strange to me." Reuters story Martina at Patong Beach |
 | (Feb 8, 2005) Martina Hingis, in an interview published Tuesday with the weekly magazine Schweizer Illustrierte, reiterated that she has no plans to return full-time to the WTA Tour, but will continue to play in exhibition matches and charity events. Martina said: "I have a very good life and enjoyed all the freedom over the last two years... I am no longer 16 or 17, and I am no longer prepared to concentrate solely on world-class sport." AP story Martina in Schweizer Illustrierte |
 Martina in Antwerp on Sunday |
(Feb 13, 2005) Martina Hingis defeated another former WTA # 1, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, 8-5 today in a single "pro set" exhibition match held during the qualifying rounds for the Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp, Belgium (click on the photo to see 6 good pics from Sunday's match). Martina said: "I really enjoyed while on centre court today. It was really great to play against Aranxta like in the old days, and entertain the audience... "My technique is very good, but that is only one side of tennis and not enough to win matches. One has to be strong enough to deal with the stress of competition and be strong enough physically. For me that means hard exercise and a lot of training, because, contrary to many players right now, I don't have the looks of someone from a basketball or volleyball team. "I don't have very clear ideas to make a comeback in the WTA tour. I just love the game and exhibition matches offer a nice solution. Especially when they are linked to charity like in Antwerp." |
(Feb 24, 2005) Martina Hingis gave a coaching clinic for kids and played a light exhibition in Manchester, England, yesterday. The occasion was the opening of a new £1.38m sports facility at the Thongsbridge Tennis Club. Martina and Anne Keothavong (the 2nd-ranked British WTA player and a fellow adidas rep) played a mixed doubles match partnered with Thongsbridge tennis coaches Tom Sanders and Nick Fitzpatrick in front of 2,000 spectators. Martina was flown in as a last minute replacement for British ATP pro Tim Henman, and the crowd was apparently very pleased to have her.
Asked if she would play in any more WTA tourneys this year, Martina said: "I have no intentions at the moment. I have no plans." story
(Jun 12, 2005) Martina Hingis will play an exhibition "Legends Match" at Devonshire Park in Eastbourne, England, on Friday June 17 in conjunction with the WTA tourney there. The match will be held on an outside court after 4pm, so fans can watch for the £5 cost of a ground pass. 1998 Wimbledon champ Jana Novotna will also be playing in the match, which appears to be mixed doubles.
(Jun 26, 2005) Martina Hingis will play 6 matches in July for the World Team Tennis New York Sportimes. Martina is playing WTT for the first time this year. Martina's 1st match will be on July 6th at the The Tennis Club at Harbor Island, where the Sportimes will be facing the visiting Hartford FoxForce.
(Jun 30, 2005) Martina Hingis WTT Conference Call excerpts.
(Jul 6, 2005) Martina Hingis won all three of her single-set matches in her WTT debut on Tuesday night. Martina defeated Carly Gullickson at singles, 5-1. In doubles, Martina and Jennifer Hopkins defeated Gullickson and Elena Tatarkova 5-0. And in mixed doubles Martina and Mark Merklein defeated Tatarkova and John Paul Fruttero 5-2, giving their New York Sportimes a 21-13 win over the Philadelphia Freedoms.
(Jul 7, 2005) Martina Hingis lost at singles, but won both of her doubles sets on Wednesday night, as her New York Sportimes defeated the Hartford FoxForce 23-16. Meghann Shaughnessy defeated Martina at singles, 5-3. In doubles, Martina and Jennifer Hopkins defeated Shaughnessy and Lisa McShea 5-2. And in mixed doubles Martina and Mark Merklein defeated Shaughnessy and Don Johnson 5-3.
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(Jul 8, 2005) Martina Hingis faced the woman she was named after, Martina Navratilova, in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles sets on Thursday night, and won all three, as her New York Sportimes defeated the Boston Lobsters, 23-15. The 2 Martinas had never played each other before in an official singles match. Each WTT match is a single 5 game set. Martina H defeated Martina N 5-0 in singles. In doubles, Hingis and Jennifer Hopkins beat Navratilova and Daja Bedanova, 5-3. And in the mixed doubles finale, Hingis and Mark Merklein defeated Navratilova and Jonathan B. Chu 5-1. Martina & Martina in Boston on Thursday |
Martina Navratilova said: "I thought I played pretty well.... I got whooped... She's just such a good tactician. I had a lot of fun trying to find a way to beat her... Energized by my game, disappointed by my result." Harvard Crimson story
The younger Martina scored frequently with passing shots against the older net charger. Martina Hingis said: "It was cool. Coming to the net, she gave me a target." Bud Collins' Boston Globe story
The matches of the Martinas will be broadcast on ESPN2-TV at 11pm ET on July 9th.
(Jul 10, 2005) Martina Hingis once again won all three of her matches on Saturday as the New York Sportimes (4-0) shellacked the Saint Louis Aces (3-2) 25-7 in World Team Tennis play.
Martina bageled Jamea Jackson 5-0 in singles. In doubles, Hingis and Jennifer Hopkins defeated Jackson and Jennifer Russell by the same score. And in mixed doubles, Hingis and Mark Merklein defeated Russell and Jonathan Erlich, 5-3. St. Louis Post-Dispatch story
(Jul 12, 2005) Martina Hingis did not win three matches on Monday in Schenectady-- because she only played two-- as her New York Sportimes (5-0) defeated the New York Buzz (2-3) 22-15 in World Team Tennis play.
Martina defeated Evie Dominikovic 5-1 in singles. In doubles, Hingis and Jennifer Hopkins defeated Dominikovic and Janet Lee 5-2. Then Martina took it easy, and sat out the mixed doubles this time (Hopkins and Mark Merklein defeated Dominikovic and Brian Vahaly, 5-4(5-4). Albany Times Union story
(Jul 15, 2005) Martina Hingis won all three of her matches on Friday as the New York Sportimes (6-2) defeated the Hartford FoxForce 25-11 in World Team Tennis play.
Martina bageled Milagros Sequera 5-0 in singles. In doubles, Hingis and Jennifer Hopkins defeated Sequera and Lisa McShea by 5-3. And in mixed doubles, Hingis and John McEnroe defeated Sequera and Mark Philippoussis, 5-2.
(Jul 17, 2005) Martina Hingis once again won all three of her matches on Sunday as the New York Sportimes (7-2) defeated the Houston Wranglers 22-17 in World Team Tennis play. It was Martina's final WTT action of the first year she has played in the league. The Sportimes have never lost with Martina playing for them, which is not surprising considering that Martina has won every WTT set she has played.
Each WTT match is a single 5 game set. Martina was taken to her first overtime in WTT singles before defeating Edina Gallovits 5-4(2). In doubles, Hingis and Jennifer Hopkins bageled Gallovits and Ansley Cargill 5-0. And in mixed doubles, Martina and John McEnroe defeated Gallovits and Mardy Fish, 5-3.
(Aug 23, 2005) Martina Hingis will again play against Martina Navratilova next month, when her New York Sportimes play Navratilova's Boston Lobsters in the 2005 World Team Tennis semifinals at 3pm on September 16 at Allstate Stadium in Sunrise MarketPlace, Citrus Heights, Calif. The winners will play either the Sacramento Capitals or the Newport Beach Breakers in the WTT Final on September 17. The WTT Final will be televised on ESPN2 on September 22 at 8 pm PT, 11pm ET. Martina H defeated Martina N in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles sets in their first meeting, in Boston on July 7.
(Sep 17, 2005) Martina Hingis led her New York Sportimes to a record 25-7 victory over the Boston Lobsters in the World Team Tennis Eastern Conference Semifinal on Friday evening in Citrus Heights, Calif. It was the largest margin of victory in WTT playoff history. Newport Beach defeated Sacramento 22-14 in WTT Western Conference Semifinal, and will play the Sportimes in the WTT final at 3pm on Saturday.
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As usual, Martina won all 3 of her matches. She defeated Martina Navratilova of Boston 5-2 in singles (each WTT match is a single 5 game set), then, teamed with Jenny Hopkins, defeated Martina N and Kristen Schlukebir in doubles by the same score. To end the evening, Martina played mixed doubles teamed with Rajeev Ram, and they defeated Martina N & Johan Landsberg of Boston, yet again by a score of 5-2.
Martina H had also defeated Martina N in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles sets in their first meeting, in Boston on July 7. Martina said: "I was not as nervous playing Martina this time. I had to go up there and do my job. I came to Sacramento early and had more time to prepare. It paid off today. I'm loving every second of my WTT rookie season."
Martina Navratilova said: "In WTT, things happen fast. We dug ourselves a hole and couldn't climb out of it." WTT story
(Sep 18, 2005) Martina Hingis led her New York Sportimes to their first World Team Tennis championship on Saturday, once again winning all three of her matches in a 21-18 (OT 3-1) victory over the defending champion Newport Beach Breakers.
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Martina defeated Katerina Bondarenko at singles 5-1 (each WTT match is a single set, won at 5 games). At doubles, Martina and Jenny Hopkins defeated Katerina and Anastassia Rodionova 5-2. And in the mixed doubles match, Martina and Rajeev Ram defeated Anastassia and Ramon Delgado 5-2.
Martina, who was named WTT finals MVP, lost only 1 set all season (that to Meghann Shaughnessy). Martina said: "We worked hard all season to get ourselves into this position. I was very happy to be part of this team and get them going. I knew when the guys lost the first set of doubles I had to step up and get us a lead." WTT story
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(Oct 16, 2005) Retired former WTA # 1 Martina Hingis is on home turf in Zurich, Switzerland this week for the WTA Zurich Open. As a tourney "ambassador", Martina drew names for the main draw on Saturday at the World of Sports in the Jelmoli Zürich City store in Zurich's prestige shopping street, the Bahnhofstrasse. After the draw, Martina signed autographs and spoke to fans. Martina on Saturday
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(Dec 3-4 2005) Former WTA # 1 Martina Hingis, who retired from the WTA Tour in October, 2002, after repeated struggles with torn ligaments and other foot and ankle problems had led to chronic pain, will very likely play in the 2006 Australian Open next month in Melbourne, and might play in either the Watson's Water Challenge in Hong Kong, or the Gold Coast, Australia Women's Hardcourts, both of which are in the first week of the new year.
After that, Martina's manager Mario Widmer says she plans to play a "pretty full schedule" for the remainder of the 2006 WTA season.
Martina making Zurich reporters happy on Saturday
Martina held a press conference in Zurich on Saturday to make the announcement, accompanied by Widmer, and Dr. Heinz Buehlmann, who performed the ligament repair surgery that Martina needed in 2001 and 2002, and by her mother and coach, Melanie Molitor.
Martina has won 40 WTA singles titles, including 5 Grand Slams, and 36 WTA doubles titles. In 1997 at the age of 17, Martina won the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, and failed to complete THE Grand Slam because she lost in the French Open final to Iva Majoli (Martina had fallen off her horse on April 21, injuring a leg, and did not have much time to recover).
In February, 2005, Martina entered a WTA tourney in Pattaya, Thailand, but lost to Marlene Weingartner in the 1st round. Martina abandoned thoughts of returning to the WTA then, but during the summer World Team Tennis season Martina led her New York Sportimes to the title, losing only a single set in the process. During the WTA Zurich Open in October, Martina decided she wanted to get back into the action.
About returning to the WTA Tour, 25-year-old Martina said: "I didn't want to get to 30 and wonder what might have happened. Yes, it might hurt. My body's hurting right now after practising, but you've got to take risks in life and maybe for the first time I'm playing for myself. I have people who are supporting me for sure, my mother is my coach again, but it's me standing on the court."
Martina also said: "When you've been number one for four years, that's all you want, to compete with the best and possibly win grand slams. That's natural and the most normal thing for me...
"I don't want to talk about goals because I'm a very realistic person and don't want to live in a dream world. I would love to be world number one again, but I can only see if that's possible once I start competing again...
"When people ask me who I really want to play, I always say Sharapova. Firstly, because she's the only one I haven't played [they practiced together once when Maria was very young], but also because she's won Wimbledon and been number one herself, so she's probably the young girl to aim for right now.
"When I look at the rest of the top 10 and see that Lindsay Davenport, Mary Pierce, Amelie Mauresmo and the Belgian girls [Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne] are still at the top, that definitely gives me hope."
Dr. Heinz Buehlmann said: "The surgery that [Martina] had on her ankle joints was for partial or total ligament ruptures, but these have now healed and present no problem.
"With her feet, there was the problem of chronic inflammation, which is actually not a problem any more.
"It's a case of how much pressure she puts on the feet though-- so it could come back depending on how many tournaments she plays, and how much training she does."
stories: Sunday Times - Sydney Morning Herald
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and Martina sending a backhand to Anna on Saturday
(Dec 11, 2005) Martina Hingis played an exhibition on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, against her friend and former frequent doubles partner, Anna Kournikova. Martina is returning to play on the WTA Tour in January, having largely recovered from ankle and foot injuries and pain that forced her to retire in October 2002. During a pre-event press conference, Anna said she has not ruled out a return to WTA play (chronic low back pain has prevented her playing daily tennis), although it is not likely to happen soon.
Martina apparently is continuing to play at the high level she displayed during the WTT season this past summer. Unfortunately she won the unfun way, defeating Anna 6-1, 1-0 retired, because Anna was suffering from a right hand problem. According to a report in the WTA World forum, Anna, who had her hand taped by the trainer late in the 1st set, retired from the match because she could not hold her racquet properly due to a rash on her hand (later press reports said the problem was blisters, which seems more likely).
(Dec 27, 2005) Martina Hingis has arrived at Gold Coast, Australia, where she will return to regular WTA Tour play in the Australian Women's Open, which begins January 2nd. The top seed at Gold Coast will likely be Martina's compatriot, # 7 Patty Schnyder. Martina will also play the following week in the Medibank International (formerly adidas International) in Sydney, a tourney which she has won three times (this year will be tough, however, as # 2 Kim Clijsters, # 3 Amelie Mauresmo, and # 6 Justine Henin-Hardenne are among the other entries for Sydney).
After the Australian Open (Jan 16-29), where she is also entered as a wild card, Martina is scheduled to play in the Tokyo Pan Pacific Open, another tough tourney.
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(Dec 28, 2005) Martina Hingis practiced at the Royal Pines Resort, in Gold Coast, Australia, on Wednesday, preparing for the Australian Women's Hardcourts, which begin on January 2 at the Royal Pines. Martina was reportedly looking very fit, and hitting the ball very well.
Martina Hingis looking out over the Royal Pines Resort golf course on Friday, Dec 30
(Dec 30, 2005) 25-year-old former WTA # 1 Martina Hingis will play # 70 Maria Vento-Kabchi in the 1st round of the Australian Women's Hardcourts in Gold Coast, Australia, on Monday or Tuesday. It will be Martina's 2nd WTA match since retiring due to ankle & foot injuries in late 2002. On Friday, Martina told reporters that she has been working to improve her serve, possibly the weakest part of her game.
Martina said: "I've been trying to work on my whole game, baseline and serve. You have to have a serve to be able to survive today...
"I've had a very nice quiet life back home without the stress and travel but I miss playing. I miss the game. I'd wake up in the morning and sometimes I'd have no reason to wake up and that's what I was missing...
"I'm taking a risk but I'm willing to take it. I love the challenge and if I can survive, great, but if not it's not a drama. There's worse things that can happen to me." Reuters story
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