Martina Hingis Makes Singles Return At 2015 Fed Cup Switzerland vs Poland

Martina Hingis and Agnieszka Radwanska (click to enlarge)

So yes, I’ll cut to the chase and say that Martina Hingis lost in her return to singles as she fell to Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4 6-0, in the first rubber of the Switzerland vs Poland Fed Cup tie. Some might look at that bagel final set as a failure. I don’t. This was the Swiss Miss in her first competitive singles match in eight years. Just because Kim Clijsters played an exhibition set and beat Andrea Petkovic earlier this year was no reason to think Hingis would just walk on court and take down a great player like Aga. Kim has been active much more recently and plays a different style. And it’s that style that suggested Martina might struggle a bit. Yes, she’s been winning in her doubles comeback, but single is very different. Martina’s singles game was built on consistency and low errors, much like Radwanska, who could be seen as this generation’s version of Hingis. In this match Martina was rusty, committing 25 unforced errors to only 14 from Aga. And it was a tough first set. If she decides to play more singles, her game will sharpen and her fitness for singles will improve so she doesn’t fade down the stretch. She is scheduled to play Aga’s sister, Urszula Radwanska, in the fourth rubber of this tie. If it is knotted at 2 matches apiece, Martina will team with Timea Bacszinsky to play a fifth rubber doubles match.

“I feel like I definitely have the game to hold on with the best in the world, especially Radwanska. She’s not a power player, hitting bombs right and left. I felt like I was right there, but that’s what makes her a top 10 player – she doesn’t give you a point for free and sometimes you wish you didn’t have to fight for every single point. That made the difference in the first set.” – Martina Hingis