Hingis needs French redemption

By DARRELL FRY

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 30, 2000

Martina Hingis is going about this French Open like it's just another tournament, but there's a lot on the line for her.

For starters, this is a chance to redeem herself from the ugly way she exited last year's tournament, whining and eventually crying in a championship match loss to Steffi Graf. She played the spoiled tennis brat routine to the hilt, even showing little sportsmanship in serving underhand.

Fans booed as she left the court, and Hingis' reputation suffered greatly.

She has been completely professional since, and Monday she received a polite but not enthusiastic welcome from the Roland Garros crowd during her first-round win. "I think I lost my mind," Hingis told the Guardian. "There was so much pressure, and I really wanted to beat (Graf) and win the title."

Winning the title in Paris would go a long way toward endearing Hingis to the French fans and further validating her as a complete player. The French Open is the only Grand Slam event she hasn't won.

Granted, she's 19 and should have plenty more chances to win at Roland Garros. But to be considered one of the game's greats, Hingis probably will have to conquer Paris. And with her, there's no time like the present.

"It is the hardest one," she said. "Physically, you have to be at the top. You have to be much more patient and in control of what you're doing. That's not always easy for two weeks straight."

PASS THE STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM: If you're desperate to get to Wimbledon this year and price is no object, there are ways to get there and get the royal treatment.

UltimateBid.com is auctioning two Wimbledon packages, one for the first week and one for the second, that includes primo Centre Court tickets, hotel rooms and a Wimbledon tour by former pro Virginia Wade.

The auction ends at 10 p.m. Wednesday.

GO FIGURE: Something is out of whack with Andre Agassi, something more than his inconsistent game. Coming into the French Open, he said he feels better about his chance of winning the championship than he did last year, when he whipped Andrei Medvedev in the title match.

"I feel much more prepared this year than I was last year," he said.

Geez, wonder if playing only three matches in six weeks has him feeling so prepared. Or maybe it's not playing in a final since the Australian Open in January.

DID YOU KNOW?: Australian star Patrick Rafter went bungee jumping this month during the ATP Tour event in Hamburg, Germany. Rafter jumped from a TV tower about 4261/2 feet high. He reportedly enjoyed the experience. No word on what his next stunt will be.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Pete Sampras, before the French Open, about having won a record-tying 12 Grand Slam titles but not the French: "It's just a matter of letting all the pressure go. I've just got to go out and play like I do all the other tournaments."

- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.

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