Hingis well prepared for Fed Cup match<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Martina Hingis, the youngest Wimbledon winner in
\nhistory, claims she is well-prepared to beat Indonesian tennis
\nqueen Yayuk Basuki in their Federation Cup second-round playoff
\nhere this weekend.<\/p>\n
\"But it's going to be difficult for me because of the home
\ncrowd support she certainly enjoys,\" the world number 17 said
\nupon her arrival yesterday. The match is scheduled for July 13
\nand July 14 at the Senayan rebound ace stadium.<\/p>\n
The 15-year-old Swiss teenager beat Yayuk, who is 10 years
\nolder but 11 places lower in the world rankings, in their only
\nprevious meeting in March at Hilton Head island in North
\nCarolina.<\/p>\n
\"My (world) ranking is higher than Yayuk's. I have played her
\nonce and I won,\" Hingis, appearing in her new short haircut,
\nsaid. \"Thus... I should be able to beat her again.\"<\/p>\n
Melanie Hingis, Martina's mother, coach and non-playing
\ncaptain of the Swiss team, said yesterday that Martina is likely
\nto play doubles but she could not yet announce her partner. The
\ndraw is scheduled for tonight.<\/p>\n
Martina joined forces with Helena Sukova of the Czech Republic
\nto land the Wimbledon women's doubles crown on Monday.<\/p>\n
During the Fed Cup European qualifying group tie in Lamanka,
\nSpain, in April, Martina teamed up with Angela Brgis. Martina
\nwon all five singles and two doubles matches she played in the
\ngroup tie this year.<\/p>\n
Martina won 11 out of 13 matches in her Fed Cup debut year,
\nlast year. She lost one singles match to Natasha Zvereva of
\nBelarus and one doubles match to Latvia's Larissa Nieland and
\nAnjessa Plumberga.<\/p>\n
Brgis did not make the team because of an upper foot strain
\nand has been replaced by Andrea Schwarz.<\/p>\n
Swiss team coordinator Annemarie Ruegg added that Martina
\nwould be fielded to play doubles only when necessary. This means
\nthat if the Swiss soar to a 3-0 winning lead from the singles
\nmatches, then it might not be necessary to field Martina in the
\ndoubles.<\/p>\n
Indonesia leads Switzerland 2-1 in their Fed Cup encounters
\nsince 1976. Indonesia lost 3-0 in the United States in 1976 but
\navenged the loss with two 2-1 victories in 1989 in Japan and in
\n1990 in the U.S.<\/p>\n
Martina, who attributed her new haircut to a need \"for a
\nchange\", said that playing in both the women's singles and
\ndoubles at Wimbledon recently did not tax her energy for the
\nplayoff. She proved her stamina in a practice with her team
\nyesterday afternoon, a few hours after her arrival in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Martina also said that Jakarta's tropical heat would be no
\nproblem for her. \"I have been to Australia for two years, where
\nthe climate is not too different from here,\" she said.<\/p>\n
As for the court, Martina said that thus far, she has won more
\nwhen playing on clay. But the rebound ace court is okay. \"I have
\nthis kind of court at home. So playing here makes me feel like
\nplaying at home,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Martina was born in then Czechoslovakia on Sept. 30, 1980.
\nMelanie, who used to play tennis only in Czechoslovakia, said
\nthat her daughter learned tennis from her at the age of three.<\/p>\n
They moved to Switzerland eight years ago. They now live in
\nTrbback, a town in the Alps about 100km east of Zurich. (arf)<\/p>",
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