Another Australian Open another Hingis/Clijsters clash. Martina was able to get passed Li Na in 3 sets but it wasn't easy. In the first set it was all Li who was dominating and dictating play, not surprisingly with her first serve at 100%.
Well that and the Chinese killer backhand, which I must admit is really great. She broke Hingis in the first game and jumped to a 0/2 lead. Hingis finally held serve in the third game for 1/2. But so did Li and she jumped to a 1/3 lead before Hingis held serve again for 2/3. Li held again for 2-4. Before Hingis held and broke her to even at 4/all, but again could not hold serve and Li went up to 4/5 and won the first set 4/6.
In the second set same scenario but with Hingis in front and a 2/0 lead. In the 3rd game Hingis was broken again and Li evened things out at 2/2. Then Hingis held for 3/2 and broke Li for a 4/2 lead. She held again for 5/2.
Li won her service game 3/5, but Hingis served the set out at 6/3. In the 3rd set it was Hingis who seemed to be in full control largely due to Li's enormous number of unforced errors (69 total) that started creeping in the 2nd and 3rd sets.
Hingis won the 3rd set 6/0. That's not to say that Martina didn't work hard for the win she certainly hang in there, played some terrific defence and forced Li Na into some long rallies. Which obviously took their toll on her as evidenced by the result of the last set. She had 10 dueces on her serve in total.
Also in the second set Hingis stopped directing the balls to Li's backhand and instead went for her forehand, which was her weaker side. That allowed Hingis to win the 2nd set. Before that it was Li who was running Hingis all over the court.
All in all it was not a bad match but it could have been better. To have even the slightest chance of winning with Clijsters, Hingis will have to be a lot more aggressive and get all of her first serves in. Basically she'll have to be near perfect. And certainly hit a lot more winners then in this match where she only had 8 to Li Na's 30. But she kept her unforced errors to a minimum she had 18 to Li's 69 as I mentioned earlier.
I think Hingis will just have to hope and pray Clijsters has a lapse in concentration and that she makes some errors like she did against Hantoukova in the second set. And as I've said Hingis will have to be completely on top of her game, the other thing Hingis can hope for is that Clijsters crumbles under the pressure (of being the favourite and the one expected to win) and take her opportunities from that.
I know it's going to be quite a long shot, but I really hope she can do it. If for no other reason then to shut up all the nay sayers, like Pam Shriver and so I don't have to keep hearing about the reemergence of Serena Williams *shudder* anymore. She has come so close to beating Clijsters in their previous 3 set matches (last year) 3rd time has to be the charm.
Gooo Hingis make them all eat their words!:D.
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