| By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA - Associated Press
Writer
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- The banner in the stands read ``Monica
and Martina are leaner, meaner and keener.''
The Seles-Hingis team proved it against Jennifer Capriati and Jelena
Dokic, winning 6-3, 6-3 at the Australian Open Saturday.
World No. 1 Hingis dashed and darted across the net for deft returns,
and No. 4 Seles unleashed a blizzard of withering groundstrokes. Often,
the balls came flying back at them.
``It was very high quality, very high intensity,'' said Hingis, whose
critical net play was a sharp contrast with the baseline assaults of the
other power hitters, most notably her partner.
``We both had to play well, otherwise, it's just bang, bang. I was the
only one who wasn't hitting the ball hard, but I was telling Monica: 'OK,
OK, I got to get to the net. I have to cross a lot and make them think
and play.'''
It was only a second-round match, but what a group of marquee names
with divergent and dramatic histories.
Hingis, with five Grand Slam titles at 20; Seles, a nine-time Slam winner
who took a two-year absence after being stabbed courtside by a fan in 1993;
Capriati, on a comeback after overcoming adolescent turmoil; and Dokic,
whose often belligerent father has helped shroud her career in controversy.
Dokic, No. 26 in the world, was the only player on the court who was
unseeded in the singles draw -- she lost to world No. 2 Lindsay Davenport
in the first round -- and was the weakest player in the doubles match.
Some of her lobs sailed long, and she appeared reluctant to intercept at
net.
Still, she often held her own, as when she lobbed over Seles' head,
and rushed the net and hit Hingis' return into the open court midway through
the second set. The point helped break Hingis' service game.
Capriati, who at 14 in 1990 was the youngest player to win a match at
Wimbledon, pounded from the baseline and was equally aggressive at net.
She questioned line calls with vigor, and when a baby in the stands wailed
for too long, she yelled in frustration: ``Baby!''
Hingis and Seles, who beat No. 1 seeds and defending champions Rennae
Stubbs and Lisa Raymond in the first round, are unseeded because they have
just started playing together. Hingis recently ended a partnership with
Russia's Anna Kournikova.
|