Martina with her Australilan Open Trophy.
Visit the official Australian Open Web Site Here.
Check out the official WTA Tour Website. It contains a diary which Martina has been writing daily during this years Aus Open.
Sunday 1st February 1998
Read some articles: Hingis triumphs but men suffer upsets, Hingis will miss seeing Graf at Pan Pacific open.
Saturday 31st January 1998
Martina is the youngest person in the open era to successfully defend a grand slam title, beating Monica Seles, when Martina defeated Conchita Martinez in straight sets. Martina started well, and Conchita was making far too many unforced errors in the first set. However, when Conchita reduced her unforced errors in the second set, she was able to make things a little more difficult for Martina. Martina managed to retain her title in 1 hour and 26 minutes with a score of 6-3 6-3.
Read the reports: Hingis rips Martinez, becomes youngest to defend title, Game-by-game account of Hingis' victory, Hingis wins second consecutive Australian Open singles title, Hingis overwhelms Martinez in Australian Open final, How finalists advanced, Hingis silences doubters with first title defense, Top seed cruises in final, wins fourth Grand Slam.
Read some articles: Hingis all business in winning second Australian Open, Hingis questioned in absence of Graf and Seles, Look for better from Hingis, Hingis refuses to be knocked off course.
Friday 30th January 1998
Mirjana stole Martina's record of being the youngest Champion at the Australian open, when she and Martina won the Ladies doubles over Lindsay Davenport and Natasha Zvereva today. They won 6-4 2-6 6-3 in a match which lasted 1 hour and 39 minutes.
Read the report: Hingis and Lucic win Australian Open women's doubles, Hingis, Lucic take doubles title, Hingis and Lucic win Australian Open doubles.
Read an interesting article: AT THE OPEN: Hingis - the $5 million woman, Hingis gunning for fourth Grand Slam title.
Thursday 29th January 1998
Martina has made it into the Aus Open final for the second year running, following a three set win over Anke Huber. Martina won the first set easily 6-1, but lost the second 6-2. At this point Martina had lost the last 7 games, and was looking to stop Anke's run. She managed to turn the match around and win the final set 6-1. Martina will now play Conchita Martinez in the final on Saturday.
However Martina will not get a chance to rest as she is also on target to retain her doubles title after she partnered Mirjana Lucic into the doubles final, with a win over Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs, the number 8 seed. They will play against Lindsay Davenport and Natasha Zvereva in the final. One of the winners from last year will retain their title, while the other will lose it, since last year Martina won this doubles title with Natasha Zvereva! It is scheduled to be the second match to be played on center court tomorrow.
Read the report: Hingis hits top form going into final, Resurgent Martinez squares up to Hingis, What a difference a year makes for Hingis, Martinez, Hingis-Martinez history, Hingis goes after fourth grand slam title.
Photos: 1
Wednesday 28th January 1998
Martina gained revenge over Mary Pierce for her loss to her at the Chase Championships. Martina defeated Mary in straight sets 6-2 6-3 in a match lasting only 1 hour. Mary only managing to win one game more than in last years final!
Martina will play Anke Huber in the Semi final. Anke defeated Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in straight sets, having won the first set in a tie break.
Read the reports: Hingis gets revenge against Pierce, Martina Wins the Rematch, Escude beats comeback record at Open(there is a little about Martina at the end!).
Tuesday 27th January 1998
Martina and Mirjana produced the biggest upset in the ladies doubles tournament so far when they easily defeated the number 2 seed pairing of Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Manon Bollegraf. The score was 6-1 6-1and lasted just 37 minutes, by far the easiest win for Martina and Mirjana so far this tournament. Arantxa must be wondering why she didn't continue playing with Martina!!
Martina and Mirjana will face Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs, the number 8 seed in the semi final. Martina is well on her way to defending her doubles title she won here last year with Natasha Zvereva, who is still in the tournament partnering Lindsay Davenport this fortnight.
Monday 26th January 1998
Martina had an easy day today. Martina recorded her easiest win over an opponent in months when she posted a double-bagel victory over Yakuk Basuki in just 38 minutes. Her next opponent should pose more of a threat; Mary Pierce. Mary was one of the five players who defeated Martina last season, which avenged her loss to Martina in the finals of this tournament last year! Also, Mary Pierce has been in awesome form during the last week or so; she has posted two double-bagels during this championship, one being in the last round also.
Martina has a potential semi final match with either Anke Huber, the nmber 10 seed who defeated Amanda Coetzer today, or Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, who has also posted a double-bagel during the championships.
Martina then went on to partner Mirjana Lucic to defeat Svetlana Kriventcheva, of Bulgaria and Elena Tatarkova, of the Ukraine in straight sets 6-1 6-3. Again, Martina may have to play the same person in the doubles as it the singles, because Martina and Mirjana have to play Arantxa and Manon Bollegraf, the numder 2 seeds, in the 4th round.
Martina has yet to lose a doubles match yet this season, as she won the doubles title at the Sydney International last week partnering Helena Sukova.
Read the reports: Hingis hammers Basuki; Coetzer ousted, Berasategui beats Agassi; Hingis, Pierce score shutouts, Hingis meets Pierce in Open final rematch, Hingis Cruises Through.
Read an interesting article: Hingis not threatened by report of stalker, 6-0, 6-0 spells rout in any language.
Saturday 24th January 1998
Martina defeated Anna again. This time in the singles tournament. This match was much closer than in the previous meetings between the two. Anna managed to take Martina to a third and final set, which Martina won. The final score is 6-4 4-6 6-4. Martina's next opponent will be Yakuk Basuki, the Indonesian who defeated Dominique Van Roost, the #14 seed in the last round.
Read the reports: Hingis rallies to beat Kournikova, Hingis triumphs as Basuki leads Asian charge, Defending champ Hingis tops Kournikova.
Read an interesting article: Hingis fan banned from Melbourne Park.
Friday 23rd January 1998
Martina and Mirjana defeated Anna Kournikova and Larisa Neiland in straight sets 7-5 6-2. They will face Svetlana Kriventcheva, of Bulgaria and Elena Tatarkova, of the Ukraine in the next round.
Thursday 22nd January 1998
Martina won the first five games in her match against Barbara Rittner, and seemed to be cruising to an easy win, before Rittner got off the mark by holding serve for the first time. Rittner then ran off another four consecutive games of her own to level the set at 5-5 before Martina could hold her own serve again. She broke immediately to finally take the first set 7-5.
In the second set, Martina took the first two games, but was then broken back to lead 2-1. Martina broke back straight away, and ran off with the next four games to go through quite comfortably to the third round, after a scare in the first set. Martina will play Anna Kournikova who beat Corina Morariu (US).
Martina played again today, when she partnered Mirjana Lucic in the doubles event. They eased into the second with a comfortable 6-2 6-3 win over Miho Saeki and Yuka Yoshida of Japan. Martina has to play against Anna again as Martina and Mirjana face Anna Kournikova and Larisa Neiland, the number 9 seeds in round 2.
Read the Report: Hingis faces Kournikova in teen battle, Hingis survives second-round scare, Chang ousted in second round; Rafter, Hingis advance, Hingis v Kournikova: It's On.
Tuesday 20th January 1998
Martina hit 26 winners to breeze past Wiltrud Probst in straight sets. She dropped only 3 games to go through 6-1 6-2 in 53 minutes. Martina is in good form, and will face Barbara Rittner in the second round on Thursday.
Other interesting results include:
Mary Pierce (5) def. Fang Li, 6-0 6-0
Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (7) def. Janet Lee, 6-0, 6-4
Anke Huber (10) def. Sarah Pitkowski, 5-7 6-0 6-0
Anna Kournikova def. Katarina Studenikova, 6-2 6-1
Barbara Rittner def. Elena Tatarkova, 6-1 7-6 (7-5)
Read the articles: Hingis bounces back from loss to Venus Williams , Rafter, Agassi, Hingis win, Hingis cruises through first round.
Photos: 1
Another piece of interesting news is that Martina is not playng in the doubles tournament with Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, but is partnering another teenage sensation, Mirjana Lucic of Croatia. This means that they are not seeded in this event. However, Arantxa is playing with Manon Bollegraf, and are the number 2 seeds.
Martina and Mirjana will play Miho Saeki and Yuka Yoshida of Japan in round 1, and could face Anna Kournikova and Larisa Neiland, the #9 seeds in round 2.
Monday 19th January 1998
Martina's first match will be played on Tuesday. She is scheduled to play second on center court.
Wednesday 15th January 1998
The draw for the Australian Open has been released. Here is a small section relavant to Martina in the early rounds.
Martina Hingis (1), Switzerland, vs. Wiltrud Probst, Germany
Barbara Rittner, Germany, vs. Qualifier
Els Callens, Belgium, vs. Corina Morariu, Boca Raton, Fla.
Anna Kournikova, Russia vs. Katarina Studenikova, Slovakia
Yayuk Basuki, Indonesia vs. Meilen Tu, Northridge, Calif.
Kristie Boogert, Netherlands vs. Qualifier
Patricia Hy-Boulais, Canada, vs. Tara Snyder, Wichita, Kan.
Rene Simpson, Canada, vs. Dominique Van Roost (14), Belgium
As you can see, Martina may have to face Anna Kournikova in the third round, and Mary Pierce the #5 seed, whom Martina defeated in last year's final, in the quarter final this year.
See the full draw here.
Tuesday 14th January 1998
The official seedings for the Australian Open are as follows:
WOMEN
1. Martina Hingis (Switzerland)
2. Lindsay Davenport (U.S.)
3. Amanda Coetzer (South Africa)
4. Iva Majoli (Croatia)
5. Mary Pierce (France)
6. Irina Spirlea (Romania)
7. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (Spain)
8. Conchita Martinez (Spain)
9. Sandrine Testud (France)
10. Anke Huber (Germany)
11. Brenda Schultz-McCarthy (Netherlands)
12. Sabine Appelmans (Belgium)
13. Lisa Raymond (U.S.)
14. Dominque Van Roost (Belgium)
15. Ruxandra Dragomir (Romania)
16. Ai Sugiyama (Japan)
Read the report: Hingis, Sampras draw top seeds for Australian Open
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