Word: navratilova
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There have always been compelling rivalries in women's tennis: Billie Jean King and Margaret Court; Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert; Steffi Graf and Monica Seles. And young, talented players, overwhelmed by the pressures of success, have often alienated their tour mates. But in the past, there was room for just two great rivals at a time. "Now," says Butch Buchholz, chairman of the Lipton and Pilot Pen tournaments, "we have a handful of names that sell tickets, which makes the appeal wider and the product just better...
...veterans, the teen churlishness has been like a tonic. Lindsay Davenport, who most recently beat Hingis at the Acura in Los Angeles in early August, has taken three tournaments in a row this summer. "She's playing the best tennis by far at the moment," says Martina Navratilova. The self-deprecating Californian has never sought the spotlight and has suffered from criticism of her weight. Now, she's 25 lbs. lighter and many times fitter. Two weeks ago, she was sitting down for a makeover and being filmed by a network TV show. Davenport, 22, says she's not "looking...
...opposition by sheer force of spirit. Last week his halftime speech to his team in Game 3 against Utah was, "Let's bury these guys and make them think about it." They routed the Jazz by 42 points. Without the benefit of a rival (imagine Ali without Frazier, Navratilova without Evert) and without innovating the game (Dr. J had already defined the dunk), Jordan became the greatest player of all time through intensity and hypercompetitiveness. Nets center Jayson Williams says that when he faces Jordan, his plan is never to look in his eyes...
Martina Hingis is living up to her namesake (Navratilova, that is). When the 16-year-old Swiss miss beat Mary Pierce to win the Australian Open, she became the youngest female to earn a Grand Slam title in 110 years. Hingis also claimed the doubles crown. "Next time I have to play mixed doubles so I can win that too," she told the crowd...
...Martina Hingis, 16. Named after Martina Navratilova, the Swiss miss (transplanted from Czechoslovakia) charmed tennis fans and stunned her older foes with a game that defied both her years and the usual baseline monotony. Hingis made the semifinals of the U.S. Open, won two tournaments and finished the year with the No. 4 ranking on the women's tour. She speaks German, English and Czech, and displays a talent for theater, striking just the right pose when a shot or call does not go her way. "I have just seen the future of women's tennis," gushed noted tennis commentator...