Sharapova, Hingis to clash in Tokyo semis

The Sports Network ^ | 02/03/06 | The Sports Network

[theFIRMbss]

Sharapova, Hingis to clash in Tokyo semis

Tokyo, Japan (Sports Network) - Defending champion Maria Sharapova and four- time Tokyo titlist Martina Hingis will square off in the semifinals at the $1.34 million Toray Pan Pacific Open.

The top-seeded Sharapova, who beat American Lindsay Davenport in last year's finale here, handled Australian Samantha Stosur 6-1, 6-4 in 69 minutes in Friday's quarterfinal action at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.

Meanwhile, the Swiss Hingis easily defeated promising Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 6-1 to set-up the semifinal showdown with the Russian Sharapova.

The unseeded Hingis, who rejoined the WTA Tour on a full-time basis last month, is fresh off her quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open. The former world No. 1 Swiss star had been retired for three years after succumbing to a series of injuries in 2002.

Hingis won the Aussie Open mixed doubles title, alongside Mahesh Bhupathi, last week and is 10-3 in singles since her return to the circuit.

The 25-year-old Hingis, a five-time Grand Slam champion, has never played the 18-year-old Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon titlist.

The other semifinal here will pit second-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva against fourth-seeded Russian Anastasia Myskina. Three of the four semifinalists hail from Russia.

Dementieva came from behind to beat fifth-seeded Czech teenager Nicole Vaidisova 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, while Myskina fought back to defeat seventh-seeded Russian Elena Likhovtseva 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Myskina is 9-5 lifetime against her fellow Moscow native and good friend Dementieva, including a victory in the 2004 French Open final.

The 2006 Tokyo champ will collect $196,900.

02/03 10:54:31 ET

[theFIRMbss]

Just a few weeks back,
Hingis called out Maria
and Sharapova

quit the tournament!
Now, like gunfighters, they're both
standing face to face . . .

Their match is tonight.
I don't think TV has it.
The website has scores,

and has an option
for live scores. I think it starts
at seven (?) eastern . . .

[theFIRMbss]

ping

[kajingawd]

quite the return to work for Hingis...she's playing great tennis.

[pgyanke]

Sharapova, Hingis to clash in Tokyo semis

They should just use their tennis rackets...

[Echo Talon]

whoo hoo! 2 hotties! Go Hingis! I like brunettes! :)

[theFIRMbss]

>quite the return to work for Hingis...she's playing great tennis

Hingis Departs, Leaves Lasting Impression
by Paul Gough
Wednesday, 25 January, 2006

Martina Hingis' fairytale comeback at Australian Open 2006 has ended in the quarter-finals but not before the former world No.1 showed that even in her first Grand Slam tournament for three-and-a-half years she can still match it with the world's top players.

It took No.2 seed Kim Clijsters to end Hingis' hopes with an enthralling 6-3 2-6 6-4 win on Rod Laver Arena in one hour and 42 minutes.

Clijsters will now face No.3 seed Amelie Mauresmo in the semi-finals after Mauresmo thrashed No.7 seed Patty Schnyder 6-3 6-0 in the other women's quarter-final on Day 10.

The results mean the bottom half of the women's draw has gone exactly to seedings while in the other semi-final No.4 seed Maria Sharapova will take on No.8 seed Justine Henin-Hardenne after she upset No.1 seed Lindsay Davenport in the quarter-finals.

Of the four remaining women, only Henin-Hardenne in 2004 has previously won the Australian Open when she beat Clijsters while Mauresmo is also a former losing finalist at Melbourne Park - going down in 1999 to Hingis.

However the Frenchwoman is the only one of the four yet to win a Grand Slam title with Sharapova having won the 2004 Wimbledon while Clijsters won last year's US Open and Henin-Hardenne is a four-time Grand Slam winner.

But while Hingis' dreams of adding to her five Grand Slam titles from 1997-99 will have to wait now until at least the French Open, the 25-year-old showed she is more than capable of again matching it with the world's best.

Ranked 349 going into this tournament after retiring at the end of 2002 with foot stress fractures, Hingis was facing the first major test of her comeback against a player she had beaten in four of their five meetings from 2000-02.

But when Clijsters dominated the first set it appeared Hingis was being given a painful reminder of just how far the top players have progressed during her time away from the sport.

As predicted Clijsters' was brutal on Hingis' serve - which is nowhere near as quick as that of the top players on tour - smashing seven winners to three for the set as Hingis managed to get just 50 per cent of her first serves into play.

And when the Belgian broke Hingis in the opening game of the second set and had her down three break points in her next service game for a 3-0 lead, it appeared the match would soon be over.

But showing why she was a three-time winner and six-time finalist at Melbourne Park before retiring, 25-year-old Hingis not only rallied to hold serve but then reeled off the next five games against a stunned Clijsters to level the match at one set all.

Clijsters, looking to reach the last four at the Australian Open for the fourth successive time, knew she had a fight on her hands and the third set was a classic as both players traded powerful ground strokes to the delight of a packed centre court crowd.

Hingis was broken in the opening game but broke back in the sixth game after Clijsters had saved two break points.

But an unstoppable backhand down the line gave Clijsters the break again in the next game and after Hingis had saved two match points on her own serve in the ninth game, the player - who with this win will become the new women's No.1 following Davenport's loss to Henin-Hardenne - then served it out to love.

Clijsters, reticent to elaborate on her compounding injury toll, admitted after the match to feeling "weird" as well as flat and lethargic.

During Wednesday's match, her left leg was heavily bandaged. She was in no mood to discuss the injury, only to say that it was a result of over-compensating for her other ailments.

"I think over the last two, two weeks or so, I think I've talked enough or spoken enough about my injury. You know, I'll have to take care of that after the tournament," Clijsters said.

"I don't see any more use in talking too much about it while I'm still in the tournament.

"Yeah, that's why I'm wearing the tape because I was compensating more with my leg."

Hingis said after the match she was proud of her performance.

"Under the circumstances losing 6-4 in the third set against the No.1 player in the world starting from Monday, it's not bad at all," the Swiss said.

"Losing against Kim today gives me so much to look forward to because it was a tight match in the end.

"You can't, after three years have passed by, just step out there and think you will win everything but seen as I only wanted to play doubles at these events initially, it hasn't turned out too badly." ...

[TheBigB]

Mmmmmmm....Sharapova...

[theFIRMbss]

>I like brunettes!

Don't make Vader mad!
If she finds your lack of faith
in blondes disturbing . . .

[theFIRMbss]

>Mmmmmmm....Sharapova...
>"The other semifinal here will pit second-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva against fourth-seeded Russian Anastasia Myskina..."

Myskina's my fav.
This is the postable pic
from her nude [!] session . . .

[beyond the sea]

Thanks for the ping!

I gotta root for Martina in this one! Maria needs to get smarter on the court, Martina will be dropping/cutting the ball over the net and lobbing over Maria's head.(Also I'm getting tired of all the noises/grunts/screeches that Maria has been making during the points.) I hate that crap, I think it ought to be disallowed by the rulers of tennis over the next years. If I were playing, I would consider all that noise a real distraction! On the other hand, Martina is completely quiet on the court making shots, and is so feminine on the court...... sorry, I appreciate that demure behavior of hers.

Martina certainly has to improve her serves, but this will be an interesting match.

I wish I could see it........ is it on TV anywhere anytime???

****

"Legs vs. The Mind"

Again, thanks for the ping.

[beyond the sea]

ROFL!

[beyond the sea]

Hingis vs. Sharapova .............. ping.

[beyond the sea]

She was wonderful in that tourney! She certainly has matured as a woman beautifully!

Now...... she has to improve that lollipop serve of hers.

Her mind and strategic thought on the court is better than any other girl/woman. It's like she is one of those great chess players out there. I just wish she were a little stronger.

Darn, it would be great to see this live!

[MikefromOhio]

It's Sharapova vs. THE FOREHEAD

[beyond the sea]

Check out these two pictures.

They would be nice to post, but I am computer illiterate. The first one is of the two girls together earlier in the week.

****

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060130/ids_photos_sp/r319635625.jpg ---- picture of Martina H. and Maria S. together.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060123/ids_photos_sp/r1839740451.jpg

[beyond the sea]

It's Sharapova vs. THE FOREHEAD

You know, I used to think that you were an ok FReeper. You're loosing it.

Only Paul Begala is THE FOREHEAD. He has enough forehead for four heads.

[MikefromOhio]

Jim Rome ping
FReepmail me to get on or off this Jim Rome pinglist....

"Have a take, don't suck or you'll get run......."

[B-Chan]

I dunno. I wasn't much impressed by Hingis' performance Down Under last week. After the way Clijsters beat her at the Australian, I'm not sure the Swiss Miss (who, after all, is coming back from a long hiatus and a bad injury) has the chops to take on a limber kid like Sharapova. I wish her well, though.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Oh, that's naaaaasty

[Flavius Josephus]

Romie used to call her Anna Pornikova, but I suppose you knew that already. That was back when she was like 15 and the little slut was already busier off the court than on.