There's such a fine line between clever and stupid
I may have to pay royalties to Rob Daniels, our resident Spinal Tap fanatic, for using that one. But I think it applies very well to the Swiss Miss, Martina Hingis.
There were plenty of times when Hingis crossed that line off-the court (see her "like a man" comments about French tennis player Amelie Mauresmo). But on the court? Never. In her prime, she was always a refreshing reminder that clever could still be used to beat power even in this age of crushing serves and laser-like forehands.
So I'm very happy that Hingis' comeback at the Australian Open went so well. She finally lost today in the quarterfinals in three tight sets to No. 2 seed Kim Clijsters. I wondered how competitive Hingis could be after taking the last few years off due to injury and ennui. But she looked pretty darned close to her old self and even seemed to be generating a decent amount of power to go with her usual clever court tactics.
Here's hoping that the Swiss Miss stays with this comeback effort. I'd like to see how she does on the power-neutralizing clay at the French Open.
Who's happiest about the return of Hingis? That would have to be former News & Record sports copy editor Eli Pacheco, who always had an obsession with ... err... crush on Hingis.
Comments (2)
To report abuse of the comment feature on this site, please use the feedback form at the bottom of any page.
I'm a Davenport man myself
Posted on January 26, 2006 1:41 PM
Um, whatever you say, Ben!
Seriously, it's good to see Hingis back. In order for tennis to thrive, it needs a mix of top players who are both talented and charismatic. Hingis fits that bill and right now, the women's game is much more interesting. Roger Federer is a great player (on pace to be the best ever), but he's too dominant and maybe a little too bland. I mean, he's not Pete Sampras boring, but he's not a dynamic personality, either.
Posted on January 28, 2006 9:11 AM