FIVE FOR THE RECORD
Swiss second-seeded player and former world No. 1 Martina Hingis gave herself an advance Valentine’s Day gift by taking a fifth WTA Toray Pan Pacific Open title surpassing the shared four-time winning record with Lindsay Davenport in Tokyo, Japan. Hingis won the title in 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2002.
She has neutralized the 19-year old Serbian Ana Ivanovic’s power with her usual trademark smart play in en route to a 6-4 6-2 victory. It was a sweet revenge from her straight-sets loss in Montreal last year. It is Hingis’ first Tier I singles title since winning Rome in 2006.
The Swiss has always said that the carpet surface suits her game well and she has proven it by beating the defending champion Russian Elena Dementieva 6-4 6-3 on her way to the finals. She lost to the erratic Dementieva in last year’s final. Ivanovic reached the final after top-seed Maria Sharapova retired in their semifinal match with a hamstring injury.
With the comeback story way behind her now, the affable Hingis is immersing herself into today’s physically demanding power game at her own pace. The win will undoubtedly be a boost to her self-confidence in the coming clay court season.
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