Hingis crushes Arantxa to make final

Paris, June 3: World number one Martina Hingis kept on course for the only Grand Slam she has never won on Thursday by sweeping into the ...

Paris, June 3: World number one Martina Hingis kept on course for the only Grand Slam she has never won on Thursday by sweeping into the final of the French Open women8217;s singles with a straight sets win over defending champion Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.

Hingis, who already has five Grand Slam titles already under her belt but who has never managed to triumph on the slow red clay at Roland Garros, began imperiously, taking the first five games and ultimately winning 6-3, 6-2. The 18-year-old Swiss, playing in her third straight semi-final here, had not dropped a set on her way to the last four and, aside from a loss of concentration mid way through the first set, she proved far too hot to handle for her seventh-seeded Spanish opponent.

It was Hingis8217; 10th win in 11 matches against the 27-year-old Sanchez-Vicario. quot;I played very focused from the beginning,quot; said a beaming Hingis. quot;I felt very good but I had to take her seriously because she8217;s the three-time champion.

quot;I played very intelligent tennis 8211; sometimes my drop shots didn8217;t work, but I played a smart match which you have to do against Arantxa. I8217;m playing better and better each match.quot;

Hingis began like a whirlwind, moving into a 5-0 lead within just 15 minutes of what was for the most part an embarrassingly one-sided contest.

Sanchez-Vicario began by having a break point in the opening game but then struggled to get any more points on the board until she held for 1-5 and then closed the gap to 3-5.

Hingis, however, overcame her lapse of concentration to close out the set in just half an hour. The one-way traffic continued in the second set as Hingis, who went into the match having won 18 of her last 19 matches, broke for 1-0 and raced to a 4-0 lead, breaking up the Spaniard8217;s rhythm by mixing up drop shots and short balls when the Spaniard would have preferred to have traded from the baseline.

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Sanchez-Vicario came back to 2-4 but Hingis, full of confidence, reeled off two straight games to seal the win. Former world number one Sanchez-Vicario grew increasingly frustrated, spraying the ball wildly.

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