Qualifier Dokic too hot for Hingis

The 6-2, 6-0 scoreline would have been easily mistaken for Hingis8217; victory score, but on Tuesday, it was Dokic who looked like the No 1 player. Hingis was not allowed a ghost of a chance to get into the match, going down as one of the biggest upset in tennis.

8220;I couldn8217;t pick my game at all. She didn8217;t let me into the match and I missed some easy shots. She was just too good today,8221; Hingis said.

This was the only third time in the history of the Championships that the world No 1 has been knocked out in the first round. Theearlier ones being in 1962 when Margaret Smith was knocked out and then in 1994 when Steffi Graf was knocked by American Lori McNeil in the first round.

But then, the frail, long-haired Dokic8217;s flight to superstardom has transcended all that. She was so unheralded that she didn8217;t even merit a mention in the WTA player guide. Compared to her career earnings of 42,894 to Hingis8217; over 9 million, Dokic showed glimpses of her talent when she was ranked No 1 in the world in juniors last year.

Early this year, she, along with Mark Philippoussis, won the Hopman Cup where she upset world No 4 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario. But today, the tilting factor was the power which Dokic generated. There was no signs of nerves whatsoever for the Wally Masur-trained girl, and the two-handed shots on the flanks were played with pin-point accuracy that Hingis was just chasing shadows. Both used the drop shots to dramatic effect and the match wore on, Hingis used more as an act of desperation, a futile attempt to throw Dokic offbalance.

8220;It was a different match today,8221; Dokic said of her earlier match against Hingis at the Australian Open this year where she lost 1-6, 2-6. 8220;I had a different gameplan this time to try and keep the ball deep. Even after winning the first set, I knew it wasn8217;t easy. She Hingis has all the shots in the book and could turn the match around with her talent.8221;

8220;All the pressure was on her because I didn8217;t have anything to lose. And just because I have beaten Hingis it doesn8217;t mean that I should win the tournament. I have to keep my feet on the ground and try and win the next match,8221; Dokic said matter-of-factly.

In a marathon five-setter, three-time champion Boris Becker beat Britain8217;s Miles MacLagan 5-7 6-7 7-9 6-4 7-5 6-2 in a men8217;s first round singles encounter.

How The Seeds Fared

Men singles 1st round: 2-Patrick Rafter Aus bt Cristiano Caratti Ita 6-3 6-2 6-2; 3-Yevgeny Kafelnikov Rus bt Magnus Larsson Swe 6-7 4-7 7-5 7-6 8-6 4-6 7-5; 4-Andre Agassi US btAndrei Pavel Rom 6-1 6-2 6-3; 11-Gustavo Kuerten bt Chris Wilkinson GBr 6-4 6-4 6-4; 15-Nicolas Kiefer Ger bt Christian Vinck Ger 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 7-4; 16-Felix Mantilla Spa bt Vincent Spadea US 7-6 7/2 7-6 7-4 4-6 7-6 9-7.

Women singles 1st round: Jelena Dokic Aus bt 1-Martina Hingis Swi 6-2, 6-0; 4-Monica Seles US bt Cristina Torrens-Valero Spa 6-3 6-1; 5-Jana Novotna Cze bt Shi-Ting Wang Tai 6-2 6-1; 7-Arantxa Sanchez Vicario Spa bt Annamaria Foldenyi Hun 4-6 6-3 6-4; 9-Mary Pierce Fra bt Fabiola Zuluaga Col 6-3 6-211-Julie Halard-Decugis Fra bt Sandra Nacuk Yug 6-1 6-0; 14-Barbara Schett Aut bt Gala Leon Garcia Spa 7-5 6-2; 15-Dominique Van Roost Bel bt Elena Dementieva Rus 3-6 6-4 6-4; 16-Natasha Zvereva Bel bt Kimberly Po US 5-7 6-1 6-3.

Other important first round results

Men singles: Arnaud Clement Fra bt Albert Portas Spa 6-3 6-2 6-4; Paradorn Srichaphan Tha bt Guillaume Raoux Fra 6-2 6-4 7-6 9/7; Magnus NormanSwe bt Gaston Gaudio Arg 6-4 7-5 7-5; Paul Goldstein US bt Jan Siemerink Ned 6-4 5-7 4-6 6-2 6-1; Marc Rosset Sui bt Markus Hipfl Aut 6-4 5-7 3-6 6-3 6-2; Karim Alami Mor bt Laurence Tieleman Ita 6-4 6-2 6-4; Lleyton Hewitt Aus beat Marcelo Filippini Uru 6-2 6-2 6-1; Jan-Michael Gambill US beat Franco Squillari Argentina 6-1 6-3 7-6 7-5; Boris Becker Ger bt Miles MacLagan GBr 5-7 6-7 7-9 6-4 7-5 6-2; Jonas Bjorkman Swe bt Grant Stafford SA 6-4 6-1 6-4; Wayne Arthurs Aus bt Vincenzo Santopadre Ita 7-6 9-7 6-7 5-7 7-6 12-10 7-6 7-4; Nenad Zimonjic Yug bt Dinu Pescariu Rom 7-6 7-4 7-6 7-3 6-7 6-8 6-4; Jens Knippschild Ger bt Justin Gimelstob US 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-2 9-7; Jeff Tarango US bt Juan Antonio Marin Costa Rica 6-4 6-1 7-5; Younes el Aynaoui Mor bt Oliver Gross Ger 6-1 4-6 7-6 7-3 6-4; Jiri Novak Cze bt Roger Federer Swi 6-3 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-4; Nicolas Lapentti Ecu bt Adrian Voinea Rom 7-6 10-8 6-3 4-6 2-6 8-6.

Women singles:Kristie Boogert Ned bt Chanda Rubin US 6-4 7-5; Meghann Shaughnessy US bt Virginia Ruano Pascual Spa 6-3 3-6 6-3; Alexia Dechaume-Balleret Fra bt Lubomira Bacheva Bul 6-4 4-6 6-4; Elena Wagner Ger bt Abigail Tordoff GBr 6-0 6-2; Rita Grande Ita bt Kristina Brandi US 6-2 1-6 6-3; Tatiana Panova Rus bt Henrieta Nagyova Slo 6-3 6-3; Lisa Raymond US bt Andrea Glass Ger 6-3 3-6 8-6; Katarina Studenikova Slo bt Emilie Loit Fra 6-1 6-3; Jennifer Capriati US bt Anke Huber Ger 5-7 6-3 9-7; Karina Habsudova Slo bt Lorna Woodroffe GBr 6-3 6-2; Olga Barabanschikova Bel bt Catalina Cristea Rom 6-2 6-3; Brie Rippner US bt Irina Spirlea Rom 6-4 6-1; Nadeja Petrova Rus bt Sonya Jeyaseelan Can 3-6 6-3 6-4; Alexandra Stevenson US bt Amy Frazier US 6-1 3-6 6-3; Nicole Arendt US bt Magui Serna Spa 6-3 7-6 7-4; Sabine Appelmans Belg bt Silvija Talaja Cro 6-3 6-7 5-7 6-3; Silvia Farina Ita bt Adriana Serra-Zanetti Ita 6-2 6-1; Maria Antonia Sanchez LorenzoSpa bt Linda Wild US 6-3 7-6 7-4; Larisa Neiland Lat bt Fang Li Chi 0-6 7-5 6-2; Nathalie Dechy Fra bt Patty Schnyder Swi 5-7 6-3 6-3.