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A showdown of strong wills

Venus Williams, who says she's No. 1, meets top-seed Martina Hingis.

By DARRELL FRY

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 8, 2000

NEW YORK -- They have history, and it's not the kind you'd want to put in a scrapbook. Venus Williams has said more than once that she's the best player in the world, which has always annoyed Martina Hingis, the official No. 1 player. And Hingis rarely has hidden her feelings -- most of which haven't been friendly -- about the Williams family and its inclination to trash talk.

With an all-Williams final no longer possible, it is probably fitting that Venus and Hingis clash in today's U.S. Open semifinals. There's not a better, longer-running show off Broadway.

The Lindsay Davenport-Elena Dementieva semifinal might prove to be the more entertaining of today's two marquee matches, but Hingis-Williams is the one a sellout crowd of more than 20,000 is coming to see.

This will be their 16th career clash, with Hingis leading 9-6. But Williams, 20, has been getting the better of Hingis lately, sweeping three of their past four encounters, including two months ago in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

"I think I've played much better since Wimbledon. So has she," said Hingis, who lives and trains at Saddlebrook Resort in Pasco County. "I'm just going into the match with basically nothing to lose for me. She's got to prove herself to me."

Actually, some would argue the top-seeded Hingis, 19, has something to prove to the third-seeded Williams, namely that she can handle Williams' power. Hingis has had trouble doing that in recent months, which is where today's match will hinge. Williams typically has kept Hingis on the defense with her power and her speed, while also getting several free points with her big serve.

"I've just got to hang in there," Hingis said. "Just play my game and try not to let her overpower me and take a little bit of the advantage when I have the chance."

Lately no one has had many chances against Williams, a Californian who lives in Palm Beach Gardens. She comes into the semifinals riding a 24-match win streak, the longest on the WTA Tour this year. Including Wimbledon, she has won four straight titles and hasn't slowed much this week heading toward a possible fifth crown.

She has had minor lapses, but has looked strong and sharp since the opening round, losing just one set -- to eighth seed Nathalie Tauziat in the quarterfinals -- en route to her third straight semifinal appearance at Flushing Meadows.

Not that she needs extra motivation, but Williams surely hasn't forgotten how Hingis wrecked her chance to make it an all-Williams final here last year. Hingis stopped her 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in the semifinals, leaving her to watch her younger sister win the family's first Grand Slam singles title, which Venus always figured she would do first.

"I guess I'll have to play a little better (today)," Williams said. "I always play better when it comes to the big match."

The Davenport-Dementieva match figures to be a classic baseline duel, the kind packed with long rallies and dramatic points. That, however, feeds into Davenport's strength.

She packs a lot more punch in her strokes than her 18-year-old unseeded Russian opponent, which is why the second-seeded Davenport, 24, has won all four of their previous meetings.

"What I've had success with in the past is trying to take advantage of her serve," Davenport said. "If you hit the balls hard and deep, in the past she's had a little bit of trouble with that, so I'm going to try and do that again."

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