No. 1 Hingis Trips Over Davenport

Lindsay Davenport was deciding whether to serve or receive when Martina Hingis interrupted her reverie before their semifinal match at the Manhattan Country Club on Saturday.

“Do you want to get broken the first game?” Hingis asked.

Davenport said she started laughing and replied, “I’m going to hold the first game. And she said, ‘OK, you can serve.’ ”

One hour 38 minutes later, Davenport got in the final word and shook up the status quo, defeating the No. 1-ranked Hingis, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, at the Acura Classic in Manhattan Beach.

Davenport, who won here last year after beating then No. 1-ranked Steffi Graf in the semifinals, will play third-ranked Monica Seles in this morning’s final. Seles defeated No. 37 Amy Frazier, 6-0, 6-2, in 51 minutes in Saturday’s other semifinal.

Seles, who has won here twice, has played Davenport only once, also in a hardcourt final. That was last year at Sydney, where Seles won, 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-3.

Seles remembers the encounter as difficult and something like playing against herself: Both players hit hard from the baseline.

“The ball is going to be hit very hard and there are going to be long rallies,” Seles said of today’s match. “I haven’t gone to the net too many times this week. But it might be a good idea to mix it up.”

Saturday’s loss was only Hingis’ second in 58 matches in 1997. She has won nine tournaments this year, including the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Until Saturday, Hingis, 16, had reached the final in every event she entered this year. After Iva Majoli defeated her in the French Open final, Hingis rattled off 17 consecutive victories. During the winning streak, she lost three sets, one to Davenport in the semifinals at Stanford in July.

“When I heard she lost to Majoli, I was pretty shocked,” said Davenport, who lives in Newport Beach. “Before the match today, I said, ‘How did she lose that match?’ I wish I had seen that match to know how she lost.

“Maybe it does give some other players some confidence. No one likes to see the same player win match after match after match--the crowd, the players, everybody.”

Nevertheless, Hingis hardly seemed shaken. If anything, the Swiss teenager thought it might lessen the pressure at the U.S. Open.

“Sometimes you are just a human being. . . . It’s like a car, no more engine,” Hingis said. “No more gas in there anymore.”

Despite running on empty--the byproduct of playing singles and doubles three consecutive weeks--Hingis nearly smiled her way into another final.

Davenport, buoyed by a hometown crowd, played superb attacking tennis and took a 5-0 third-set lead. When Davenport hit a return long, Hingis laughed in relief when she cut the deficit to 5-1.

“I didn’t want to lose 6-0,” Hingis said. “I was laughing after every game I made. I thought, ‘OK, I got another one.’ ”

But there weren’t laughs all around. Davenport served for the match at 5-1 and watched Hingis erase two match points with a backhand volley and forehand winner.

Davenport became upset and complained to the chair umpire.

“This guy [a TV cameraman] kept talking during the point,” Davenport said. “Geez, it was bugging me so much.”

Suddenly, her body language went south, Hingis kept smiling and Davenport’s forehand briefly went awry. Hingis held and broke Davenport again to pull to 5-4. With Hingis serving, Davenport won it on her third match point when Hingis knocked a backhand into the net.

“When we were in the third set, I thought it was my match to win,” Davenport said. “It would have been a lot easier on me if I put it away sooner. You can’t really give the No. 1 player in the world too many chances to get back in the match.”

Hingis still had enough moxie to tease Davenport when they shook hands. “She said, ‘Why did you keep me out there an extra four games?’ ” Davenport said.

The only players Hingis seems to fear are those with powerful ground strokes--Davenport, Seles and Anke Huber. Davenport attacked her second serve and was helped by Hingis’ seven double faults. Davenport had nine aces and two double faults.

“To beat Martina, you’re going to have to hit a lot of winners because she moves so well,” Davenport said. “You’re going to have to try to overpower her. Today, she was a little tired. I think I played well on the day she wasn’t her best.”

Rest and riding are the next items on Hingis’ agenda. She will return to Switzerland and perhaps purchase a new horse before the U.S. Open.

“You’re never happy when you lose, you just want to keep winning,” Hingis said. “You always have to think positive. I’ve got to be ready for the Open. No more speeches on the court for a while.”

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Percentage Players

Saturday’s defeat in the Acura Classic semifinals leaves Martina Hingis seventh on the best annual won-lost records list (since 1980, minimum 50 matches won):

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No. Player (Year) Record Win Pct. 1. Martina Navratilova (1983) 86-1 .989 2. Steffi Graf (1989) 86-2 .977 3. Navratilova (1984) 78-2 .975 4. Graf (1987) 75-2 .974 5. Navratilova (1982) 90-3 .968 6. Navratilova (1986) 89-3 .967 7. Martina Hingis (1997) 56-2 .966 8. Graf (1988) 72-3 .960 9. Navratilova (1985) 84-5 .944 10. Graf (1990) 72-5 .935

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* QUICK EXIT: Monica Seles defeated Amy Frazier, 6-0, 6-2, in their semifinal match in only 51 minutes. C4