Hingis Makes Triumphant Return to WTA Tour With Doubles Win
Martina Hingis, former number one in the world and newest inductee to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, returned to the WTA Tour in doubles with partner Daniela Hantuchova in successful fashion, as the duo won their first match on Wednesday in the Southern California Open against Julia Goerges & Darija Jurak 6-1, 6-1. The last tour match that Hingis played was in September 2007, and she was welcomed back to the tour warmly by the crowd. She showed them why she has nine Grand Slam doubles titles with her quick hands.
Hingis was quiet the first game of the match, but showed her aggressive doubles play in the second game by hitting the ball right at Jurak. Hingis & Hantuchova had complete control over the match and Hingis sealed the win with a lob over Jurak’s head. Hingis is going to continue to play doubles with Hantuchova, as the pair plans to enter the doubles draw at the 2013 U.S. Open at the end of the month. Hingis has retired not once, but twice from the tour, once in the beginning of 2003 when she was only 22, and the second time at the end of 2007.
In singles action, Ana Ivanovic won her first round match at the Southern California Open by defeating defending champ Dominika Cibulkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Ivanovic, seeded seventh, used a strong baseline game to overpower Cibulkova, with Ivanovic winning nine of the last 11 games. Cibulkova was coming off a title win on Sunday at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford.
”As soon as the draw came out I thought it was one of the toughest first-round matches, especially being a seeded player,” said Ivanovic. ”But I was really happy with my performance. This kind of win obviously means a lot to me.”
Ivanovic fired her coach after her loss at Wimbledon and she has been working on all parts of her game, especially ”being consistent and also working on that confidence part. I think it plays a big role. I felt like my game has been there at times but not my confidence.”
Victoria Azarenka, the number one seed at the Southern California Open, came back with a win against Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-3. Azarenka was forced to withdraw from her second round match at Wimbledon due to hip and knee injuries. Petra Kvitova and Roberta Vinci had first round byes and second round wins, as Kvitova beat Laura Robson, who had beaten her at the Australian Open in January, by a score of 6-1, 6-2, and Vinci was a 6-4, 6-2 winner over Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
