Indian Wells 1999 - Evert Cup

Indian Wells'99 - Evert Cup Hingis wins; Seles, Coetzer, Tauziat eliminated at Evert Cup

Rubin eliminates Hingis to reach Evert Cup semifinals

INDIAN WELLS, California (Ticker) -- Three years after reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal, American Chanda Rubin scored one of her biggest wins in recent memory as she ousted top-ranked Martina Hingis today at the $1.3 million Evert Cup.
In a quarterfinal match where both players had trouble holding serve, Rubin posted a 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) triumph over the defending champion and top-seeded Swiss teenager.
Rubin closed out the first set in 31 minutes on a brilliant crosscourt forehand winner past a lunging Hingis. Both players were broken four times in the second set before Rubin pulled away in the tiebreak.
"I feel like everything has been coming together since the end of last year and the beginning of this year," Rubin said. "I felt good coming into the tournament and felt like I was hitting the ball well enough to play with anybody and beat anybody. It is certainly great to reap the benefits of feeling that."
After advancing to the Australian Open semifinals in 1996, Rubin underwent wrist surgery in August of that year and was sidelined for three months. Last year she reached her only final at Quebec City, Canada and finished 1998 ranked No. 34. The 23-year-old Rubin started 1999 by claiming her second career WTA Tour title at Hobart, Australia. She has won 13 of her last 15 matches and has reached the semifinals, where she will face fifth seed Steffi Graf of Germany.
Graf crushed fourth-seeded Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-0. The two-time champion has lost just three games in four sets.
Rubin broke Hingis seven times and held a huge advantage in winners produced, 29-10, and points won, 86-69. Her
performance today was a far cry from her last match against Hingis, where she lost, 6-1, 6-0, at last year's Lipton
Championships. Hingis suffered only her third loss in 20 matches this season. After reaching the final of her first three events this year, including her third straight Australian Open title, she has lost in the quarterfinals of two straight tournaments.
"There are worse things in life than to lose a tennis tournament in the quarterfinals," Hingis said. "If I would break a leg or have to have one amputated, that would be worse. I hope to improve next week (at the Lipton Championships)."
Graf, a 21-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1 player, made an emotional visit here last year when she struggled in her return from knee surgery. She was moved to tears many times on her way to the semifinals last year before suffering a hamstring strain during her match with Lindsay Davenport, losing for the first time at this event. Playing in her eighth consecutive WTA Tour quarterfinal, the 29-year-old Graf again had no trouble with Novotna, improving her career mark to 29-4 against the reigning Wimbledon champion.
Rubin, 23, showed signs that she might finally be turning into the player many people believe she can be. Ranked 26th in the world, Rubin slashed accurate shots from the baseline to send Hingis scrambling side to side, then often
charged to cap the point with a volley. She fought back with two services breaks after Hingis took leads of 5-4 and 6-5 in the second set.
``I definitely would say this is the best win of my career,'' Rubin said. ``She's No. 1 in the world, and the best player week in and week out.''
Hingis, 18, said she was always a step slow and played too defensively. ``I think she played an unbelievable match,'' said Hingis, losing for just the third time in 18 matches this year. ``When I tried to come in, she would pass me with unbelievable shots. She never missed.''
Rubin, whose highest world ranking was sixth briefly in 1996, was sidetracked by an injury to her right wrist early that year. She underwent surgery on her wrist in August 1996 and seems finally to be getting her game back in top shape. Off to a solid start this year, she won her second career singles title with a victory at Hobart, Australia, and beat world No. 17 Conchita Martinez in the Evert Cup second round and No. 9 Amanda Coetzer in the third round. Said Hingis: ``I think everybody knows that she always had this game, to be a top player. Since she had injuries, especially the
wrist, it's been hard for her to come back.''
updated at Thu Mar 11 00:12:53 1999 PT

INDIAN WELLS, California (Ticker) -- No. 1 Martina Hingis of Switzerland bucked a trend tonight when she dispatched 10th-seeded countrywoman Patty Schnyder in straight sets at the $1.3 million Evert Cup.

Hingis is the only one of the top 11 seeds remaining after No. 3 Monica Seles of the United States, No. 7 Amanda Coetzer of South Africa and No. 8 Nathalie Tauziat of France all lost third-round matches today. Hingis, the defending champion, needed only 54 minutes to record a 6-1, 6-3 third-round victory.

"I was feeling pretty well going out there today," she said. "I was probably less nervous than the other times I played her. I was pretty much at the top of my game. I'm feeling great, so I can run, I can get to some balls maybe that I didn't used to last year."

Hingis, 18, had her 12-match winning streak stopped last week by French teenager Amelie Mauresmo in the quarterfinals of the Open Gaz de France in Paris. Earlier this year, Hingis defeated Mauresmo in the Australian Open final.

Hingis has reached the final in three of four events this season. She claimed her third straight Australian Open crown in January and returned to the top of the WTA rankings by winning the Pan Pacific Open in Japan last month. Hingis also was a finalist at the Sydney International in Australia in January.

Schnyder, 20, won five tournaments in 1998 but has caused more of a stir this year for splitting with her family, coach and boyfriend in order to travel with 42-year-old mental and physical trainer Rainer Harnecker. All the publicity has made it hard for Schnyder to concentrate on her tennis.

"I could not work quitely on my own," she said. "I think I had a hard time the last two months, I just couldn't work like I wanted to do."

Schnyder and Hingis, who paired to help Switzerland reach the Federation Cup final, met twice last year. Schnyder earned a victory in October at the Grand Slam Cup when Hingis was fored to retire with an injury. Hingis got revenge at the year-ending Chase Championships with a three-set victory.

"She is a lot more confident now, and I'm less confident, so that's a big difference," Schnyder said. "She's playing much better.
She's not missing that much. I tried to play aggressive. It's the only way to beat her and I made too many mistakes. I was risking probably too much. I just tried to go for the winners."

Patty Schnyder, right, prepares to leave the tennis court with her new coach Rainer Harnecker after practice. She wiil face compatriot Martina Hingis - 08/03
Martina reacts to a lost point to Patty Schnyder - Monday, March 8, 1999	Martina stretches to return against Patty Schnyder during the third round - Monday, March 8, 1999
Martina returns a shot to Patty	Steffi Graf - 08/03
Patty	Serena Williams
Serena Williams	Chanda Rubin reacts as she wins against Martina - 10/03