March 29, 1997
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- Top seed Martina Hingis of Switzerland demonstrated Saturday why she will become the youngest-ever No. 1 player in women's tennis on Monday by storming past fourth seed and two-time champion Monica Seles of the U.S., 6-2, 6-1, in the final of the $4.45 million Lipton Championships at Key Biscayne.
The 16-year-old Hingis 
extended her unbeaten streak in WTA Tour
matches to 26 (29-0 overall this season) as she captured her
fifth singles title this year, the seventh of her career, and a
first-prize check of $215,000, becoming the fastest female ever
to earn one million dollars in prize money in a single season.
Hingis picked up $19,000 for reaching the doubles semifinals and
has now earned $1,052,615 in 1997.
"I just tried to play my best tennis," said Hingis. "That's what I didn't do the first couple of matches, but I played better and better every day. Still, you don't want to lose because the other players are lower-ranked than you are. You just try to keep going. With my willpower, you just want to handle all this stuff."
Hingis will take over the top spot from injured Steffi Graf of Germany. She will be 16 years, six months of age when she claims the top spot, replacing Seles as the youngest number one ever. Seles was 17 years, three months and 19 days of age when she passed Graf on March 11th, 1991.
HINGIS, PLAYING IN HER SEVENTH STRAIGHT final overall dating back to last year, has also prevailed at the Australian Open, the Sydney International, Pan Pacific Open, and the Open Gaz de France.
Seles, playing her first tournament of the calendar year, committed 22 unforced errors, six double-faults, and lost her serve six times as she suffered her second crushing defeat in as many matches with Hingis. Seles won just two games in losing to Hingis in the finals of the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, California last November.
"I think looking at her (Hingis) and her personality, it does not seem it's a burden (being No. 1) at all," said Seles. "She's having a great time. Everything is just happening very fast. I think she's handling it great. She just really is enjoying tennis out there so much. I think that shows through her game."
Seles was seeking her 39th career singles title and her first since prevailing at the Nichirei International last September.
Seles, who won here in 1990 and 1991, had not played a tournament since last November, when she was forced to retire in her first-round match at the WTA Championships. She broke her right index finger and was unable to defend her Australian Open title in January. She also has been at the side of her father, Karolj, who is suffering from stomach cancer.
On the men's side, two players known more for their success on claycourts will meet in a hardcourt final on Sunday when second seed Thomas Muster of Austria battles Sergi Bruguera of Spain.
Muster, who has 41 claycourt titles to his credit, beat number 22 Jim Courier of the U.S. in straight sets, in Friday's semifinal, while Bruguera, a two-time French Open champion, handed top seed Pete Sampras of the United States only his second loss in 22 matches this year with a three-set victory.
Muster has compiled a career-best 20-3 record in 1997, all on the hard surface. He will try to pick up his second hardcourt title this season and third of his career. Muster won last month's Dubai Tennis Open.
THE 26-YEAR-OLD BRUGUERA WILL BE seeking his 15th career ATP Tour title and his first in three years. He prevailed at Prague in 1994 for his last title.
Bruguera will be appearing in his fourth career hardcourt final as he tries to become the first male Spaniard to win the Lipton. His only title on the hard surface came at Bordeaux in 1993.
The prize money is lucrative, with the winner receiving $360,000.
Graf, the three-time defending champion, has been on the shelf with an injured left knee and is not expected to return to the Tour until April at Hamburg, Germany.
Hingis needed just 44 minutes against Seles
Lipton Director Cliff Buchholz on:
