Hingis the great survivor as casualties rise in power game

Ronald Atkin finds the world's No 1 by far the fittest for season's clima

When women's tennis bows out of Madison Square Garden after 23 years this week it will, perforce, be an occasion resembling an 1812 Overture minus the cannons.

When women's tennis bows out of Madison Square Garden after 23 years this week it will, perforce, be an occasion resembling an 1812 Overture minus the cannons.

Three of the biggest boomers are missing from the field of 16 as the Chase Championships, the season's-end highlight, prepares to move to Munich in 2001. Both Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, have pulled out, citing anaemia and a foot injury respectively, as has Mary Pierce, who has not played since September because of shoulder damage.

However, Lindsay Davenport, whose thunderous ground strokes have rattled the rafters of many an arena, will be on hand to defend her title in familiar, rousing style and she is seeded to meet the world No 1, Martina Hingis, in the final. So the culmination of the Chase, a week today, could be power versus poise for the third straight year. Twelve months ago Davenport overwhelmed Hingis 6-4 6-2. In the 1998 final the Swiss, who bade farewell to her teenage years six weeks ago, overcame the 6ft 2in Californian 7-5 6-4 4-6 6-2 in the last of the best-of-five-sets format that had been unique to the women's game.

Even so, for the supposed highlight of the tour year, the absence of Venus and Pierce, the French Open titleholder, leaves only Davenport (Australian Open) as a Grand Slam champion in line-up. While proferring all the expected sounds of disappointment the WTA chief executive, Bart McGuire, stressed that something is being done about the matter of year-end fatigue and injury by lopping two weeks off an overcrowded calendar.

Serena Williams missed her debut at The Chase last year, withdrawing at the last moment with back trouble. This time the lingering effect of a foot injury which first flared in August has ruled her out. She was advised to rest but instead opted to attempt the defence of her US title and go for doubles gold with her sister at Sydney, failing in one and succeeding in the other.

It was at the 1999 running of this tournament that Venus suffered the wrist injuries which kept her off the tour until May this year. Then, after defeat in the French Open quarter-finals, the older Williams embarked on a 35-match streak only terminated in the Linz final last month. So exhaustion plus the demands of the fashion design course both Willliamses are involved inhas sidelined her. "I think this is the right thing to do to be healthy for 2001," she said.

Health is a major concern since power and pace have expanded so significantly. Monica Seles, also out for the best part of six months with a stress fracture of the foot at the start of the season, is again having foot problems, while Davenport's year has been hobbled by hamstring and foot troubles.

So physically demanding has women's tennis become that the WTA are seeking to have all next year's indoor events leading up to Munich played on a uniform surface.

Through all this injury hell sails the serene Hingis, minded by an experienced mother/coach with such skill that she has steered clear of physical problems. And, just in time for The Chase, with its first prize of £375,000, Hingis has struck a 14-match victory streak. Since her semi-final heart-breaker against Venus at the US Open, Martina has won three straight titles, Filderstadt, Zurich and Moscow, beating Davenport in the final of the Swiss event.

The Hingis count of eight tournament successes, excluding Philadelphia this weekend, is the WTA's highest this year as she compiled a 70-9 singles record. She will open in the Garden against Julie Halard-Decugis of France, to whom she has never dropped a set in four meetings, and is scheduled for a quarter-final against her doubles partner, Anna Kournikova, who will do well to survive a first-round clash with Jennifer Capriati.

The other Russian, Elena Dementieva, has also been harshly treated by a draw which pairs her with Davenport, against whom she has yet to glean a set in five matches.

Barring the intrusion of injuries it looks straightforward progress for the top two into their third successive Chase final. It would be their 21st career clash. Davenport leads11-9 but Hingis has won the last two, the finals of Key Biscayne and Zurich. Without a Grand Slam title since the 1999 Australian Open 22 months ago, Hingis could use the New York occasion as a timely reminder to all the cannonaders, both present and absent, about why, through shot and shell, she remains No 1.

Draw: M Hingis (seeded 1) v J Halard-Decugis, A Frazier v N Tauziat (6), CMartinez (4) v E Likhovtseva, J Capriati v A Kournikova (7), C Rubin (8) v A Coetzer, S Testud v M Seles (3), A Sanchez Vicario (5) v K Clijsters, E Dementieva v L Davenport. (2).