Hingis Benefits From On-Court Mom Chat at Montreal
Posted on August 16, 2006
MONTREAL, Canada -- Martina Hingis and Nicole Vaidisova faced tough tasks en route to the third round of the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank Tuesday night on the hardcourts of Uniprix Stadium.
No.7 seed Hingis trailed 4-1 in the second set but, after an on-court chat with coach and mother Melanie Molitor, managed to pull out a 75 76(5) victory over Mara Santangelo. No.5-seeded Vaidisova caught a slow start against countrywoman Lucie Safarova but still prevailed, 36 75 61.
Santangelo was serving for the second set at 5-4 when Hingis turned things around with solid ground strokes to avoid a third set. The Swiss received a first round bye and was the first player to enter the third round of the $1,340,000, Tier I event.
"I don't think it was an easy match from the beginning," Hingis said. "I've never played her before. I knew what she was going to be like, but it's not so easy to always try to control those wide shots. And she served very well, a very high percentage and it was hard to break her. I think overall it was a good match to win in straight sets."
Leading 4-1 in the second set, Santangelo took a medical timeout and Hingis asked Molitor to come on court, as part of the on-court coaching trial conducted here for the first time.
"It was just to loosen up. (My mother) knows my game inside and out and sometimes when you have an overview from the outside, it helps. She told me just try to play your game," said Hingis, who will next face either No.11 Daniela Hantuchova or Jamea Jackson.
Hingis made the Rogers Cup semifinals in 1998 and won titles in 1999 and 2000. In her first championship run, she defeated Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in the quarters, Mary Pierce in the semis and Monica Seles in the final, without dropping a set. A year later, she beat Conchita Martinez in the semis and Serena Williams in the final. Williams retired trailing 3-0 in the third set due to a foot injury. This is Hingis' second US Open Series tournament this year. Two weeks ago at San Diego, she made the quarters and lost to eventual champion Kim Clijsters.
In the final match of the day, Vaidisova notched her second Sony Ericsson WTA Tour victory over Safarova. The two faced each other earlier this year at Amelia Island and Safarova won 64 in the third. This time Vaidisova left her opponent no chance in the third set. She will next meet either Nicole Pratt or Marie-Eve Pelletier. After reaching her first career Tier I semifinal at San Diego, 17-year-old Vaidisova broke into the Top 10 for the first time and is only the 12th-youngest Tour player to do so.
No.10 Anna-Lena Groenefeld eliminated lucky loser Julia Schruff, 63 63, and will next face American qualifier Shenay Perry. Groenefeld had an impressive week in her first summer hardcourt event at Stanford, reaching the singles quarterfinals and winning her fifth career Tour doubles title.
No.11 Hantuchova swept aside Gisela Dulko, 62 60, to set up a second round meeting with qualifier Jackson. The 23-year-old Slovak, who won her lone Tour singles title four years ago at Indian Wells, made a first round exit at Stanford but reached the third round at San Diego.
Pelletier and Stephanie Dubois became the first Quebecers since 1984 to advance to the second round of this event. Pelletier dispatched No.16 seed Li Na, 64 62, to score her first Top 20 win, while Dubois ousted world No.57 Tathiana Garbin, 64 64.
"It's my best victory ever, yes, for sure," Pelletier said. "And yes, to do it here on centre court, it's awesome. Awesome."
Other Tuesday winners were Perry, Cara Black, Jackson, Pratt, Marta Domachowska, Jelena Jankovic, Zheng Jie, Ai Sugiyama and Anna Chakvetadze.
On Wednesday, top seed and defending champion Clijsters plays Dubois, No.3 Nadia Petrova takes on Chakvetadze, No.4 Svetlana Kuznetsova is up against Domachowska and No.6 Anastasia Myskina will meet Shahar Peer.
-- WTA
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