Tennis: Hingis can learn much from defeat: Nervous Pierce demonstrates disruptive tricks of the trade as she subdues teenager with the power of her shots

MARTINA HINGIS'S second examination on the WTA Tour should serve her as well, if not better, than the first. Her straight-sets defeat yesterday by Mary Pierce, the world No 5, was far from being a disgrace. The lessons learned came as a timely reminder to the 14-year-old and her handlers of how tough the professional game is likely to be.

One interesting development to emerge from yesterday's experience was that those responsible for the youngster's welfare may be tempted to take a step back before plunging into hasty measures to supercharge her career among the seniors. Melanie Hingis-Zogg, the prodigy's mother and coach, said: 'We are taking things very calmly. We shall see in Filderstadt next week how it goes on a slower surface. We will certainly not increase her physical work, even if it takes two years for her to be able to keep up with the more powerful players.'

Pierce won 6-4, 6-0 to advance to the quarter-finals of the European Indoor Championships, though the victory was not the walkover it may seem. It took the No 2 seed all of 85 minutes to subdue the youngster, which may convey that Hingis contested the points in almost every game. Moreover, Hingis was subjected to some of the subtler means to which certain opponents will resort in order to gain an advantage.

Pierce blatantly wasted time between points, which was particular distracting when Hingis was preparing to serve. At crucial moments, the French player found reasons to fix her hair, adjust her headband, fiddle with her racket strings or rewind the tape on the handle.

The first suspicion of an attempt to break the tempo of Hingis's play occurred after Pierce's serve had been been broken to halt her opening sequence of three winning games. Hingis was about to serve at break point down in the fifth game when Pierce held up her hand and said: 'Sorry, sorry.' Hingis managed to win the point. The Czech- born Swiss saved three further break pionts to hold and Pierce began to appear shaky, her composure slipping after two close calls went against her.

In the next game, after a backhand from Hingis had bounced wide to make the score 4-2 to Pierce, she turned to the umpire and asked: 'What were you going to do if she (the line judge) had called that in?' The umpire, admirably impassive, simply said: 'Out.'

Pierce netted an ambitious attempt at a forehand drop-shot off a second serve when holding a break point for 5-3 and eventually irritated the spectators once too often when contriving another delay as Hingis was faced with a third set point in the next game, prompting angry shouts of 'Hey]'

Hingis held and saved two more set points in the 10th game before being beaten by a foreand drive so fierce that though she managed to put the racket to the ball, there was not the slightest possibility of a successful parry.

Pierce always had the superior weight of shot, in contrast to Patty Fendick, the world No 45, who Hingis defeated in her opening match. In common with Fendick, Pierce betrayed signs of nervousness on being confronted by one so young, though this cannot excuse her attempts to undermine Hingis's confidence in those important moments between shots.

Hingis, displaying a professional touch in the interview room as well as on the court, chose not to criticise Pierce's tactics when asked afterwards if the time-wasting had contributed to her difficulties. 'No, not really,' she said, 'because I'm used to it. It happens even in the juniors. I like to play quick, like Steffi Graf.'

As against Fendick on Tuesday, there was no doubting Hingis's determination, but it was clearly evident on this occasion that she will have to improve the power of her serve if she is to avoid being put under pressure by her seniors. She faced break points even in the games she managed to hold.

Though the second set proved something of an anti-climax, Pierce had to claw her way to save three break points in the fourth game, which began after she held up the proceedings yet again, this time to chastise a spectator who was holding a conversation, albeit quietly, in the front row of the WTA Tour guest box.

The defeat has not caused despondency. 'The level was too high for her,' Hingis's mother said. 'She couldn't sustain it for a long time. She's only 14 and it's difficult for her to concentrate over a long period of time. But I was positively suprised. She gave 120 per cent.'

(Photograph omitted)