[Daniel]

Hingis enters Australian Open
| Sports Watch ... 04 December 2002 |
Former world No.1 Martina Hingis is among 97 of the top 100 women tennis players to have entered the 2003 Australian Open at Melbourne Park.



Only Jelena Dokic, who refuses to return to her adopted homeland, the recently-retired Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and pregnant Frenchwoman Sandrine Testud will be missing.

With entries having closed at the beginning of the week, American Todd Martin, a former finalist, will be the only player ranked in the world's top 100 absent from the men's singles draw.

Hingis, a three-time champion and finalist the past five years in a row, had been undecided about her participation in the first grand slam of the year after cutting short her 2002 season in October.

The Swiss star had been battling injury and a run of disappointing results, but is now keen for a return to her favourite stomping ground.

"It's great to see that triple champion Martina has indicated that she wants to play, so like her we'll be keeping our fingers crossed that she'll be fit in time for January," Australian Open chief executive Paul McNamee said.

Two-time defending champion Jennifer Capriati and Serena and Venus Williams will headline the women's field.

World No.1 Serena will be hoping to complete a grand slam after winning the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open this year.

Lleyton Hewitt will be top seed and bidding to become the first Australian men's winner since Mark Edmondson in 1976.

The tournament, running from January 13-26, carries an $18.2 million purse, including $1,127,850 to the men's and women's singles winners.





It will be nice to see her again and this time taking the title home


Vamos Martina


:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

 

[Jorge]

they are wonderful news, but better let's wait, in the last weeks i have heard many many stories about Martina, each one telling different things. Now i dunno what to believe

 

[Jeffrey]

She also entered The Pan Pacific in Tokyo!!!!

 

[harry_potter]

good luck martina! i hope ur ready for another comeback!!! :bounce: :bounce: :kiss:

 

[Kojangs]

Tuesday December 10, 01:08 AM

Hingis seen pulling out of Australian Open


LONDON (Reuters) - Former world number one Martina Hingis is set to withdraw from the Australian Open and has no immediate plans to resume playing, her agents have been quoted as saying in the Guardian newspaper.


The Swiss player said in October that she would take an indefinite break after a poor run of results following ankle surgery in May that kept her out of the French Open and Wimbledon.


The 22-year-old was due to make her comeback at the Australian Open and was listed among the official entries for the January 13-26 Grand Slam event in Melbourne.


But the newspaper on Tuesday quoted a spokeswoman for Hingis's agents Octagon as saying: "She came back too early last time and she's still having trouble with the injury.


"She just wants to make sure that when she comes back she can compete at the level she's capable of and that she is really physically and mentally ready.


"She hasn't put a time on how long that will take but she'll certainly miss the first few months of the year."


Australian tennis officials were not immediately available to comment on the report.


Hingis won the last of her five Grand Slam singles titles at the 1999 Australian Open but has been in decline ever since and now stands at 10th in the world rankings.

 

[Havok]

she isn't playing!!!!!! i think she'll be back a littlebefore RG

 

[harry_potter]

she's pulled out of pan pacific too :sad:

 

[hythger]

yeah... Go Martina! Welcome back
Now we can see real tennis!:bounce: