Hingis Talks Trash, Lines Up Davenport in IW

Hingis says the women's tour, sans the brutal bashing of the Williams sisters which contributed to her early exit from the game, hasn't made a lot of progress in her absence.

"If all the girls were able to play like the Williamses, I would not have asked myself if I could play again, but they aren't," Hingis told reporters this week in Indian Wells. "The girls' game has not taken such a big jump forward. Most girls don't have time (to prepare) on the court. And there are a lot of technical deficiencies."

While gangly bashers like Maria Sharapova and Nicole Vaidisova have had success in her absence, Hingis says most players in the topspin-bashing-only vein have their problems.

"A lot of them are big and strong, but they don't know how to move," Hingis said. "If you hit two different shots in succession, they lose their timing and rhythm. They don't know how to deal with slice. And on the courts today, which are mostly slow, they can't shoot me away."

The No. 19 seed in Indian Wells this week, Hingis' next test will come Tuesday in a meeting with another big and strong poor-mover, No. 2 seed Lindsay Davenport, who she trails 10-14 in their 24 career meetings.