 Reuters Photo |
Friday January 14 5:59 AM ET
|
By JOHN PYE Associated Press Writer
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Amelie Mauresmo avenged last year's Australian Open final loss to Martina Hingis by crushing the world No. 1 in straight sets today to set up a final match against Lindsay Davenport in the adidas International.
The 20-year-old Frenchwoman unleashed a string of blistering backhands in a 7-5, 6-3 victory. Defending titlist and No. 2 seed Davenport defeated eighth-seeded Anna Kournikova 6-3, 6-2 in the other semifinal.
Kournikova needed a medical break between sets to have her thigh treated, and Davenport took advantage by upping the tempo of her game.
``It's not like she was limping in the second set,'' Davenport said. ``I still had to win the match.''
Kournikova said she sustained the injury early in the first set. But she said she expected to be OK for the Australian Open.
Mauresmo edged Davenport in the Australian Open semifinal last season, but the American has won their last three meetings.
``The first two times I lost, but then I've won the last three ... we flip-flop a little, but hopefully I've figured out a game plan to beat her,'' Davenport said.
In the opening semi, Hingis held a 5-3 lead and was serving at 30-0 in the first set before Mauresmo struck back, reeling off six successive winning games to clinch the first set and open a 2-0 lead in the second.
The sixth-seeded Mauresmo won in emphatic style with an ace on her first match point.
``I had my chances ... I just didn't do enough with them,'' said Hingis, winner of the last three Australian Opens.
Mauresmo said she'd gained a significant confidence boost going into next week's Australian Open.
She said she didn't want to know who she was playing next week because she wanted to concentrate on Saturday's final.
However, when asked if Hingis was still one of the favorites, she said: ``Yes, she's one of them, that's for sure - I'm probably one of them also.''
Their only previous clash Down Under was last year's Australian Open, when Hingis sparked a controversy by reportedly describing Mauresmo as ``half a man.''
Both players say the rift has been resolved. And Mauresmo said she'd matured as a player and a person in the meantime.
``I think my game is more solid,'' she said. ``Last year I was a little bit up and down - I wasn't really sure of what my weapons are and mentally what I have to do.
``This year I feel different in this way
and personally ... I get stronger from everything that happened
to me last year, good things and bad, whatever.''
