MELBOURNE, JAN 29: World No 2 Lindsay Davenport emblazoned her superiority over world No 1 Martina Hingis with a 6-1, 7-5 victory in 65 minutes in the Australian Open women's singles final on Saturday.It was the 23-year-old American's third Grand Slam crown after winning the US Open in 1998 and Wimbledon last year and snapped three-time champion Hingis's 27-match winning streak here which stretched back to the 1996 quarter-finals.Davenport has now beaten 19-year-old Hingis in straight sets in their last four meetings and Hingis has lost in her last three Grand Slam finals the French, US and Australian Opens.Davenport played unbelievable tennis to rip through the non-plussed Hingis 6-1 in the first set in 19 minutes but while serving for the match at 5-1, 30-15, she appeared to tighten. Hingis broke back twice to level at 5-5.Just when Davenport appeared to be losing her grip on the final, she regrouped and held her serve to lead 6-5 and then broke Hingis to love to claim thechampionship.Davenport is now 3-0 in Grand Slam finals and finished the tournament without dropping a set. Davenport won at her eighth attempt at the Australian Open after coming up short and losing in the semi-finals for the past two years.``I can't believe I played that well,'' said Davenport. ``I almost made it look easy. You don't play that well too many times in your career. I had confidence going out there knowing I had beaten her three times last year. I knew the way to beating her was to overpower her. That was my game plan going into the match.''The Californian bombarded the smaller Swiss Miss with bazooka forehands and she broke three of her four service games to zip through the opening set.It looked grim in the second set when Davenport stormed to a 5-1 lead after breaking Hingis in the fourth and sixth games Hingis double-faulted on break point for 3-1. But errors began to creep into Davenport's game. A double-fault and three backhand errors prevented Davenport from serving out for thematch.Hingis, playing with renewed zest, held her service for 5-3 and then got to 0-40 on Davenport's next serve, two break points were saved, but another backhand into the net had the top seed trailing 5-4 with the tide appearing to turn.Hingis levelled at 5-5, but Davenport picked up her game and began eliminating the errors and hitting with her previous authority to get ahead at 6-5 and then it was quickly all over in the next game.Hingis double-faulted, put a backhand long and a forehand wide for three match points the championship was Davenport's when Hingis sent a backhand well over the baseline. ``Lindsay kills you right away, no mistakes,'' said Hingis. ``No one is as consistent as Lindsay, Serena (Williams) is as powerful, but she misses some, with Lindsay there is no compromise.''``She was forcing me all the time to go for shots close to the lines and I missed. I didn't think I played that badly, but she's just bigger and stronger. She showed what a fighter she is,'' Davenport said inaccepting the trophy and A $ 717,000 about Rs 1.98 crore) winner's cheque. ``I was watching the clock. I just tried to keep it over an hour,'' Hingis said. ``At least I made that.''Barely: one hour, five minutes.ResultsWomen's singles (final): Lindsay Davenport (USA) bt Martina hINGIS (Swi) 6-1 7-5.Men's doubles (final): Ellis Ferreira (Rsa)/Rick Leach (USA) bt Wayne Black (Zim)/Andrew Kratzmann (Aus) 6-4 3-6 6-3 3-6 18-16.Mixed doubles' (semi-final): Todd Woodbridge (Aus)/Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Spa) bt David Adams (Rsa)/Kristie Boogert (Ned) 6-3 6-3.Boys' singles (semis): Andy Roddick (US) bt Joachim Johansson (Swe) 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-5); Mario Ancic (Cro) bt Tommy Robredo (Spa) 6-3 4-6 6-2.Girls' singles (semis): Aniko Kapros (Hun) bt Hannah Collin (Gbr) 6-2 6-2; Maria Jose Martinez (Spa) bt Marie Eve Pelletier (Can) 6-3 6-4.
