March 26, 1998
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- There's a new grand slam in women's tennis, and it takes place every time Venus Williams hits an overhead.
The
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Martina Hingis couldn't sweep the Williams sisters and ended up being swept out of the Lipton Thursday.
(Allsport)
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The upset in the showdown of 17-year-olds won't affect Hingis' No. 1 ranking, but it might shuffle the balance of power on the WTA Tour. Hingis has now lost twice this year to the 11th-ranked Williams, who will break into the top 10 next week for the first time.
"I HAVEN'T ARRIVED YET," WILLIAMS SAID. ``I'm just coming. I'm on my way."
The final Saturday will be another all-teen affair, with Williams facing 16-year-old Anna Kournikova for the first time. Kournikova earned her first berth in a final by beating a top-10 player for the fourth day in row when she rallied past No. 8 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Kournikova, ranked 25th, earlier eliminated No. 2 Lindsay Davenport, No. 9 Conchita Martinez and No. 4 Monica Seles.
"For
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In the men's quarterfinals, Andre Agassi continued his resurgence by beating Jeff Tarango 6-4, 6-3. Agassi's opponent in the semifinals Friday night will be Alex Corretja, who beat qualifier Steve Campbell 6-3, 6-1.
Williams' victory could have been more lopsided, but in the second set she squandered a 3-0 lead and three match points serving at 5-3.
"I was just much too tight and much too pumped," she said. ``After I lost that game, it was like, `Wow, how could I have done that?' "
Hingis survived two match points to beat Williams' sister, Serena, in the quarterfinals. But there was no escaping Venus.
"It's difficult to play the Williams family two matches in a row," Hingis said with a laugh.
WILLIAMS MARCHED QUICKLY TO AND FROM HER chair during changeovers, as though on a mission, and hit winners from the baseline that even the speedy Hingis couldn't reach.
And then there were those overheads, including two in a row to punctuate the final game of the first set. Each time, the 5-foot-10 Williams leaped into the air on the run, long limbs flailing as she clobbered the ball and sent it on one hop into the stands while the crowd gasped.
Williams kept swinging for a 3-0 lead in the second set. When Hingis finally won a game, she raised her arms with a smile in mock jubilation.
The 5-foot-6 Hingis, the defending Lipton champ, conceded that she couldn't match Williams' power.
"She's taller than me," Hingis said. ``What can I do about that? I know I can't hit the ball as hard as she can."
Williams' father, Richard, watched from the first row behind his daughter's changeover chair. He held up signs that said "I love my wife" and ``We thank the ballkids," then later clasped his hands over his head and made other gestures to Venus that looked suspiciously like coaching.
If he was signaling her to hit the ball hard, she followed orders well.
WILLIAMS LET THE SECOND SET SLIP AWAY BUT regrouped quickly. Hingis took a break to change shirts early in the third set, and the crowd jeered when she returned, mindful that she tried similar gamesmanship against Serena.
The move failed to cool off Venus, who won first four games of the final set, including two at love. On match point, Williams socked a forehand winner down the line and broke into a slow dance step in celebration. Then she climbed over the rail to hug and kiss her father.
The victory avenged a 6-0, 7-6 loss to Hingis at Indian Wells two weeks ago, but Williams still trails the rivalry 4-2. Her other victory over Hingis was at Sydney in January.
Hingis, it should be noted, still leads Williams in Grand Slam titles, 4-0. But the gap in talent is closing fast.
"Before, I was the hunter," Hingis said. ``Now I'm the hunted one.''
Venus Williams on:
Martina Hingis on: