BERLIN, May 12 (AFP) - World number one Martina Hingis and
Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna were engaged in a war of words at
the German Open on Wednesday after Hingis split up their doubles
partnership to play with fellow teenager Anna Kournikova.
Hingis was reported in English newspaper 'Mail On Sunday' to
have called 30-year-old Novotna old and slow after they struggled to
win the Lipton title in March.
After beating Spaniard Gala Leon Garcia 6-3, 6-2 to reach the
third round of the German Open, top seeded Hingis protested her
innocence - but then repeated her assertion in different words.
"I felt very good about playing with Anna because she's fresh
and motivated," said Hingis.
"I don't want to put her (Novotna) down because we're still good
friends, but she's just not the same player she was last year.
"I want to have a chance in the doubles and I want to win, and I
didn't see that if I continued playing with Jana."
Novotna was disappointed that she heard about the break-up from
other people, not Hingis.
"I was disappointed in two different ways," Novotna said.
"First because I'm not going to play with her any more,
especially when we had such a wonderful year last season. We lost
only two matches in the whole year, and we made a commitment for the
whole of this year.
"Unfortunately after Lipton she decided she no longer wanted to
play with me and that's fine. But I was disappointed the way she
handled it and that I was the last one to know about it.
"I heard from players and everybody else. She didn't handle it
like a champion and it's very disappointing."
Hingis again denied she was in the wrong, but then again
suggested there was more than a grain of truth in Novotna's
accusation.
"It's not true," she insisted.
"I wouldn't do something like break up before telling her, but
if something goes wrong in the relationship you feel it anyway.
"If not, you're blind. You see your partner is not satisfied.
"I told her after our victory in Key Biscayne. Well, I told her
maybe in Hilton Head (the following week) because I didn't want to
say it right after we won. I was waiting until it was the right
time."
Hingis, who won the Australian Open with Kournikova in January,
decided on the basis of one tournament that she was having to work
too hard to win with the 'ageing' Czech.
"I wasn't happy because the way we played in Key Biscayne wasn't
that satisfying any more," said Hingis.
"Being down in the final 6-0 2-0 isn't very satisfying, even
though we won in the end. In the rounds before we always played
three sets, and with my singles I didn't want to waste so much time
playing doubles."
She is also good friends with Kournikova, and that played a part
in her decision.
"I felt very good about playing with Anna because she's fresh
and motivated," Hingis said.
"It was easier playing with Anna. With Novotna it was always a
very professional relationship. We didn't go out to dinner or
practise together, and that's what I'm doing now with Anna and I
feel better this way."
Novotna has emerged from the controversy well, after agreeing to
partner world number one doubles player Natasha Zvereva.
Incredibly, given their long experience, they have never played
together before. Their first outing will be at the French Open later
this month.
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