Henin-Hardenne and Hingis Staying Strong at Wimbledon

Justine Henin-Hardenne defeated Yuan Meng 6-0, 6-1, and is grateful for the variation in her game. “It’s good to have different kinds of games,” Henin-Hardenne said. “I think people would love to see more of these kind of players on the tour, but women’s tennis is getting very powerful in the last few years.”

Wimbledon has always favored the powerful, as the Williams sisters have repeatedly shown. But Martina Hingis, who defeated the decidedly stronger Olga Savchuk 6-2, 6-2, doesn’t agree with the all-power approach to tennis. “I do not respect many of the coaches who are out there, because I don’t think they’re doing the right thing with the girls,” Hingis said. “I don’t know what the reason is. … They don’t teach the girls the right things.”

Hingis would know what she’s talking about, setting the record in 1997 as Wimbledon’s youngest champion, when she won at age 16. But then, that was in the era Before Williams (B.W.), where power in women’s tennis got redefined.

In this day and age of power hitters, Henin-Hardenne and Hingis stay true to their game. “Martina and I prove that we can play another game and still win,” Henin-Hardenne said. “Power, it’s one thing, but it’s not everything in the game.”

We’ll see if the grass court proves forgiving this time around, though with players like Venus Williams, Kim Clijsters, and Amelie Mauresmo still in the running, it will be interesting to see how long Hingis and Henin-Hardenne manage to defend themselves.

So far, so good.

(source)