I call upon the muses, those goddesses of art and inspiration, because I
am
about to sing the praises of a bewildering entity that would even leave them
in awe. I am talking about the rise of a bright "star" upon the tennis
universe, Martina Hingis. A young innocent blossom has bloomed upon the
beautiful gardens of Sankt Gallen(in Switzerland). Martina Hingis, a goddess
that leaves us mortals spellbound by the strength of her play and the immortal
power of her determination. Please do no get me wrong she is no cold empress,
rather she is a sweet sixteen year old that makes you melt with the pure and
innocent twinkle in her eyes.
Martina was born in Kosice, Slovakia on Sept 30, 1980. Mlanie, her
mother(and coach, a former tennis star herself), named her after the legendary
Martina Navratilova. She began playing tennis by the age of 3 and by 5 she
was
already playing in tournaments. When she was 7, Martina moved to Switzerland
with her mother which was the start of a multitude of Swiss indoor and outdoor
championships for her(please see the results page). In 1993 she won the Swiss
open and reached the Wimbledon junior tournament semifinals and won it in
1994. Martina has not looked back since, riding her horse "Montana" to the
pinnacle of the WTA mountain rankings(she is currently 1st-March.30). Since turning
pro, Oct14/94 she has risen with lighting speed to the ranks of Stefi Graf,
Seles, and Sanchez-Vicario accomplishing what most tennis players only hope to
achieve in a life time. In July/96 she became the youngest champion ever in
the history of Wimbledon by winning the ladies doubles(with partner Helena
Sukova). That was just the start for her, she reached the U.S. open
semifinals before a respectful(5-7,3-6) bow to the unbeatable Graf. Martina
won her first WTA tournament(The Porsche Grand Prix) by beating Anke Huber in
the German champion's own backyard, Filderstadt. She also won in Oakland, CA
handing the mighty Monica Seles a humiliating 6-2, 6-0 defeat. Martina has
become the youngest star male or female to pass the $1,000,000 mark in career
earnings. This year culminated in a must-see 5 set face off with Graf in the
very prestigious Chase Championships. Only cramps and bad luck kept our dear
Martina from crowning herself the new queen of tennis. But as any admirer and
observant tennis fan knows, it is only a matter of time before the all mighty
and seemingly unbeatable powerhouse of Graf finally comes down and gives way
to our smiling phenom.
But as a whole-hearted fan and observant of nature's bleak ways, I must address the problems as well as the hopes, dreams, and glories. Every sports fan knows how the dark forces of too much success, money, fans, and media attention can crush not only a star's career but his/her life, especially for those at Martina's tender age. One name springs to mind quickly, Jennifer Capriati and her crushing fall from stardom. This is the harsh reality that must be conquered. There is no doubt in my mind that Martina has the goodness and purity to overcome this, perhaps her biggest challenge towards being the best. She has been accused of having a temper(rackets being thrown), but a more close observer will realize that it is just childish play and there is no harm in it, she is after all a teenager. Where it will lead is up to her mother, coach, and friend(Melanie Molitar). It is up to her to be Martina's guiding light, to lead her in the twists and turns of the path to becoming the mature, caring, sweet person we all know she is and will be. I have no doubt that Martina will not turn into another racket throwing screaming brat and will follow in the paths of my favorite sports gentleman of all time, Stephen Edberg.
I must at this point address some issues regarding this page. This is my
very first attempt at creating a home page(you can learn more about me by
visiting my other pages). This page may lack the beautiful, technical,
and precise materials you are sure to run into in other pages, but it has
"heart". Coach K of Duke was once asked how you won and he responded by
saying that his team was a team with a lot of "heart". This terms epitomizes
my philosophy in sports and life in general. You can be the most smart,
talented, and gifted person at whatever you do but if you do not have the
passion for it or the moral integrity to use it for the best, it is useless.
I embarked upon making this page hoping to be the first to celebrate Martina's
achievements, but that was unrealistic given the internet's power and
Martina's magical quality. I have to praise and give my best regards and
gratitude to the half dozen pioneers that were the first to create pages for
Martina(please see the links page). I highly recommend that you visit their
sites. My page may not be very flashy, but I earnestly
raise out my hands to Martina fans out there in helping to build a magical kingdom for our
charming queen. May the world be forever lit by the pure shining twinkle of
an immortal goddess named Martina(Dec.20/96).
Ramin Ansari
Created on 12-20-96
Last updated on 06-07-97
ransari@falcon.cc.ukans.edu