The 2013 HARD Fashion Scoop

After the traditional all-while Wimbledon fortnight, the tennis world got back to its colourful ways in preparation for the last major of the season, the Flushing Meadows. Fashion wise, this is a less spectacular period, as many players opt for a coloured version of their Wimbledon apparel. However, this year saw some nice surprises as Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka, and Venus Williams shone brightly on the North American hard-courts. Also, although it showed the same design earlier at Wimbledon, AdiZero lived up to its reputation as the coolest, trendiest line. The electric blue-red dress is one of my favourites this year. 

There were also some disappointments, mainly in the Nike camp, with fashionistas Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova both wearing dull, uninspired, almost home-wearing looking garments. Another big disillusion came from Stella McCartney, the designer putting forth some horrendously coloured pieces. I really do not like the use of electric orange in combination with the beige or the mint green in Petkovic's, respectively Wozniacki's attire. 

Summer Highs

Roger Federer - Nike RF Group

Federer might be struggling with poor form and a nagging back injury, but the Swiss Maestro looked utterly sharp in this fresh, lightly-coloured outfit. I like the whiteness, the cleanness of it, in contrast to the darker accents in the wristband, headband and the collar.

Venus Williams - EleVen

Venus Williams was back on court and in true Venus style she made another bold fashion statement wearing a pink snakeskin print. The dress is cool, stands out from the crowd and it matches the American's overall look, with the crazy hairdo.

Victoria Azarenka - NIKE

Although this may not be the most exciting of outfits, Vika did a great job picking something that is cool, fresh, simple and unique. I like the sleeveless tee, as well as the light green-mint strap on the skirt.

Rafael Nadal - NIKE

I have mixed feelings when it comes to Rafa's style, but the Spaniard's athleticism really shone through in this vivid garment. The yellow tee and the matching bandana are really stand-off pieces. The X on the T-shirt is a cool detail, while the shorts round up nicely the look. Nadal is one player who should not stay away from wearing these electric colours. They really suit his style.

Summer Lows

Maria Sharapova - NIKE 'Maria Sharapova' Group

Serena Williams - NIKE

Na Li - NIKE

In contrast to Azarenka, Nike's other leading ladies proved a big disappointment. Serena Williams looked like she was wearing home-wear attire, Maria Sharapova displayed another lethal combination, a dead boring top and a hideous skirt, while Na Li's top looked taken out of grandma's closet. These ladies really need to up their game at the US Open. 

Summer Coolness

Kristina Mladenovic - AdiZero

Ana Ivanovic - AdiZero

Sorana Cirstea - AdiZero

Angelique Kerber - AdiZero

No surprise I am a huge AdiZero fan. Once again their line is playful, cool, and extremely hip. I particularly love the colour combination, the electric blue dress with those touches of red, as well as the use of white in the separates.

Summer Peaches

Andrea Petkovic - Adidas by Stella McCartney

Caroline Wozniacki - Adidas by Stella McCartney

I got really sad when I saw Stella McCartney's latest line. The cuts are not so off, but the colours are hideous. Wozniacki's garment looks better, but Petkovic's is a hot mess. The beige and the bright orange look horrible together. I miss the vintage McCartney collections. Those were simpler, though really sophisticated and fashion forward.  

Jelena Jankovic - FILA

She may not always get it right, but this time she did. Fashionista-wannabe, Jelena Jankovic, wore a peach dress with an interesting detail on the side. As long as she keeps things simple, the Serbian has a chance of looking decent on the court.

Sloane Stephens - UnderArmour

Sloane Stephens once again looked her age in this cool peach-orange dress. The colour looks stunning on her dark skin, plus, as I already declared, I am a huge fan of her pleaded hand-bands.

photos (top-down, left-right): GETTY IMAGES (x10), Reuters, GETTY IMAGES (x11), ?, GETTY IMAGES, ? (x2), GETTY IMAGES (x9)

Brave Azarenka Not So Frail Anymore

After a cloudy period in which she played briefly, sustained numerous small "injuries," and lost to some not-so-difficult opponents, Victoria Azarenka rebounded in style, edging world No.1 and arch-rival, Serena Williams, to claim the Cincinnati crown. It was a really intense battle, with Vika showing nerves of steel and fierce determination to regroup after a nightmare first set to deliver a superb 2-6,6-2,7-6 victory. 

Serena was majestic in the opening act, winning it in 26 minutes. The American's game crumbled at the beginning of the second set though, and Azarenka put forth a solid display to level the dispute. She also held the upper hand in the decider, sprinting in front to go 4-2 up. In true Serena style, she came back firing on all cylinders to break straight back, before serving for the title at 5-4. Vika was not ready to walk away so easily though. She came up with some incredible shots to push the final into a decisive tiebreak. Although she got lucky in the end, all credit goes to the Belorussian for remaining mentally tough to close out the win. And what a win this can prove to be. With the US Open one week away, the Cincinnati success should give her the best boost ahead of the last Slam of the year. 

"Obviously a big win," she said. "It was a great match. I'm really, really pleased with the way I pulled it out. It was a great battle. Nothing was given away. It was pure fight. I'm really happy. The important thing is how I adjusted after the first set. I really stepped it up. I was fighting hard and changed my game and I just have to take that into consideration the next time we play against each other, to try to be there right from the beginning, because it's crucial. You don't want to give any chances at any point because Serena is such an incredible player that she will take everything."

Last year the two met in the Flushing Meadows final, with Vika serving for the title at 5-3 up in the decider. What followed was a complete meltdown from the then world No.1, who gifted Williams her 15th major silverware. Since that hearth-breaking defeat though, the Belorussian made sure she sees no history repeating. She overcame Williams in two nail-biter encounters, both in finals, at Doha, respectively now in Cincinnati. The American did crushed Azarenka for the Rome title, but still, it is clear that Victoria is closing in the gap rapidly. I stay strong by my opinion that the Belorussian is probably the only player on the tour that can challenge Serena on a regular basis. She has the strokes, the sharp returns, and most important, she is strong enough mentally and not intimidated by her opponent's resume. Go Vika #letswintheusopen!

Vika showed she can challenge world No.1, Serena Williams, overcoming the American in a nail-biter 2-6,6-2,7-6 to win the Cincinnati Open. This is Azarenka's second victory over her arch-rival in finals in 2013.

"Furious" Azarenka was in for some heavy celebration at the awards ceremony.

photos: GETTY IMAGES

Time to Say Goodbye: Marion Does It Her Way

Marion Bartoli has always played by her own rules. Never intimidated by the critics who slammer her as unorthodox, bizarre, or quirky, she always stood by what she believed in, never compromising, never giving in. Her work ethics, her on-court behaviour, her aggressive two-handed strokes on both sides, everything about this Frenchwoman was designed to work for her and her only. Having teamed up with her father, doctor Walter Bartoli, at an early age, Bartoli has developed a unique game that I personally have always appreciated. 

It's not easy to put in so much passion, so much discipline and hard work, and to give so much of yourself match after match, week in, week out. With her never-say-die attitude, the Frenchwoman has always fought. Injuries, opponents, the French Federation, media, everyone. However, after winning Wimbledon just a few weeks ago, she felt emptied. There was nothing left to give. No resources to fuel the fight. Playing through so many injuries took its toll and an aching Marion decided she cannot continue anymore. After losing her second round match in Cincinnati to Romanian sensation, Simona Halep, Marion shocked the world by announcing her immediate retirement from tennis. 

It may come as a surprise to many, but it's important to understand just how much effort was required to win Wimbledon. Struggling with injuries since the beginning of the year, Marion saw a chance opening up when the hot favourite crushed out in the early stages. It took all her determination and fight to be able to hold the Venus Rosewater Dish at the end of the fortnight. It was the achievement of her biggest dream, an accomplishment that completed her career. She fulfilled her goal and she can now walk away peacefully and at ease, able to proudly look back at her glorious career. 

Judging by how competitive Marion is, I was actually expecting her to carry on and, why not, to try to win more majors. She knew better though. She knew that would never be. While some questioned her decision, I am pretty convinced she gave it a lot of thought. I am sad to see her retire, but one has to appreciate all she has done for women's tennis and to wish her all the best. For me, Marion represents the best example of a warrior. A fierce and smart warrior that will do anything, work as hard as it takes, to achieve her goals. When people tell you you cannot do something, Marion would go and prove them wrong. Time and time again. Although she was not the most gifted tennis player and some made fun of her peculiarity, Marion had the last laugh by winning Wimbledon and becoming a Grand Slam champion. Congrats Marion, go live your life and always stay true to yourself. At the end of the day, that's what matters the most. Thank you for all the great memories! You will be missed!

Exit interview:

On why...

"My body just can't do it anymore. I've already been through a lot of injuries since the beginning of the year. I've been on the tour for so long, and I really pushed through and left it all during that Wimbledon. I really felt I gave all the energy I have left in my body. I made my dream a reality and it will stay with me forever, but now my body just can't cope with everything. I have pain everywhere after 45 minutes or an hour of play. I've been doing this for so long, and body-wise I just can't do it anymore."

On whether she knew going into the match that it would be her last...

"Well, you kind of never know before the match that it's going to be your last match, but I felt that way after the match. I felt I just couldn't do this anymore. After one set, my whole body was just in pain.

"It's been a tough decision to make. I didn't make this decision easily. I mean, I've been a tennis player for a long time, and I had the chance to make my biggest dream a reality. I felt I really, really pushed through the ultimate limits to make it happen, to be honest. But now I just can't do it anymore."

On whether she had been thinking about it for a while...

"You know, it's hard to explain, but when you dream about something for so long and you've been on tour for many, many, many years and you've been through ups and downs and highs and lows and already a lot of injuries since the beginning of the year, my body was really starting to fall apart, and I was able to keep it together, go through a lot of pain throughout Wimbledon, and still make it happen. That was probably the last little bit of something that was left inside me. It's fine. I have the right to do something else as well. I've been playing for a long, long time, and it's time for me now. It is."

On whether she discussed it with her dad...

"I called him, yes. But my dad knows me enough to know it a bit when he saw me leaving home for the States. He kind of felt I was tired and I was exhausted, and he was not surprised by the decision.

"He said, 'I kind of felt it somehow. I can see it in your eyes and see your body and I know all the work you've done to make it happen. I'm so proud of you. I will support you in anything you're doing.'"

On where the pain is exactly...

"My Achilles is hurting me a lot, so I can't really walk normally after a match like that, especially on the hardcourts when the surface is so hard. And my shoulder and my hips and my lower back. The body of a tennis player, you've been using it for so many years, and, yeah, my body is just done."

On how she went from a really good first set to this decision...

"As a tennis player you have to be at 100%. And I'm this kind of person, when I'm doing something, I'm doing it 100%. If I have to be on the practice court preparing for the next tournament tomorrow, I won't be at 100%, because my mind is not there, my heart is not there, and I just can't lie like that.

"I'm too honest and too true to my values to be there, but kind of not really 100%. I think that would be unfair for all my team, and I don't choose to do that. I don't have those values. That's not the way I've been raised. That's not the way I am. So I prefer to stay true to myself rather than just cheating."

On what she's most proud of from her career...

"I think being the same person, being honest, being loyal to my friends, to my teams, to the people who have been helping me along the way, the people who have been working with us throughout all the years. I always respect them, and I felt I always respected everyone. I think if people ask, 'How is Marion Bartoli?' They will always respond, 'She's a nice person.' That's what I'm most proud of."

On what she will do now...

"Oh, gosh, I don't know. I haven't thought about it so much. There are so many things to do in life rather than playing tennis, so I'm sure I'll find something. I just need a bit of time to settle down. "There is some excitement as a tennis player. There is a lot of excitement as a woman. There is a lot of excitement as a wife. There is a lot of excitement as a mother. There is a lot of excitement to come up.

"I'm excited to live my future, but I will have time to think about it in the months, years to come."

A look back at Marion's golden career

US OPEN 2001: Aged 17, Marion defeated Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova to win the girls singles title at Flushing Meadows.

AUCKLAND 2006: Marion defeated Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-2,6-2 to capture her maiden WTA title. She would go on to two more crowns that year.

WIMBLEDON 2007: Marion stunned the tennis world by shocking hot favourite and world No.1, Justine Henin, to reach her first Grand Slam final. 

WIMBLEDON 2007: Playing the most important match of her career, Marion succumbed to experienced Venus Williams in straight sets.

STANFORD 2009: Marion got revenge on Venus Williams, defeating the American to collect her fifth career title.

INDIAN WELLS 2001: Bartoli reached one of the biggest finals of her career, but fell short to world No.1, Dane Caroline Wozniacki who prevailed in three sets.

ROLAND GARROS 2011: Marion delighted the French fans by reaching her first semifinal at the French. Her dream was eventually ended by defending champion, Italian Francesca Schiavone. 

EASTBOURNE 2011: at one of her favourite tournaments, Marion Bartoli produced a stellar grass-court performance. After quickly disposing of Samantha Stosur in the semis, the Frenchwoman overcame soon-to-be Wimbledon champion, Petra Kvitova, to claim the title.

HOPMAN CUP 2012: Marion partnered Richard Gasquet to reach the final of the team event in Perth. They lost to Petra Kvitova and Tomas Berdych from the Czech Republic.

PARIS 2012: One of the most heart-breaking defeats came in front of her home crowd, in Paris, when she lost an epic final to German Angelique Kerber.

WIMBLEDON 2013: Bartoli achieved her career dream, defeating German Sabine Lisicki to win her first Grand Slam trophy. The Frenchwoman did not drop a set the entire fortnight.

CINCINNATI 2013: Just when she seemed to be on top of world, Marion stunned the world announcing her immediate retirement from tennis.

photos (top-down): GETTY IMAGES, L'Equipe, GETTY IMAGES (x7), AP, GETTY IMAGES (x5), ?, GETTY IMAGES (x3)

Raonic Raises the Flag for Canada

Young gun Milos Raonic seemed destined for greatness ever since stepping onto the big scene in 2011. While Bernand Tomic, Grigor Dimitrov, Ryan Harrison, Jack Sock, or other youngsters are still searching for their big breakthroughs, Raonic's maturity helped him make an immediate impact. He claimed a few ATP titles, and he is already an established presence inside the top 20. However, a dark cloud started threatening his otherwise clear skies as of late, as the Canadian powerhouse failed to make a quarterfinal since April, when he lost in the Barcelona semis to the king of clay, Spaniard Rafael Nadal. Raonic caught fire at the best of times though, achieving the biggest result of his career on home soil, at the Masters 1000 in Montreal. To the delight of the host nation, he made it all the way to the final, becoming the first home grown player to make the championship match in more than 50 years
Raonic's route to the final was far from smooth though. In the third round, he benefitted from a controversial decision to beat recent Washington titlist, Juan Martin del Potro. Rushing to find a winner, Milos touched the net, but the empire did not see it and gave him the point. Del Potro was so irritated by the unfair call, that he completely lost focus, dropping the next two games to gift his opponent a 7-5,6-4 victory. And things only got more difficult as the tournament progressed. After overcoming a stiff challenge from Latvian Ernests Gulbis in the quarterfinals, the Canadian had to rely on all his experience to end the dream run of his compatriot, Vasek Pospisil, 7-6 in the decider.
Playing in his first Masters 1000 final, Milos failed to provide the crowd the perfect ending to what has been a historical week for Canadian men's tennis. Although heavily cheered by his supporters, he ended up being crushed once again by Rafa Nadal, who collected a record 25th Masters crown. Despite winning only four games against the Spaniard, Raonic remained upbeat about what he achieved in Montreal: "There's a lot of things, a lot of steps, a lot of professionalism that is not optional really to get to this level, stuff I really pride myself in, I put a lot of emphasis on," he said. "To do it here is really special for me, but also it's very motivating for the next steps to sort of know that I've made that step to where I want to be. It makes me want to push harder and work more to make the next step to go down that line and try to get as close as I can to my goals."
And the phenomenal result has helped Milos achieve one of his career goals. On Monday he broke into the top 10 for the first time, becoming the first Canadian to accomplish the feat. Will he become the next world No.1, I don't think so. He does have a killer serve and powerful groundstrokes, but he does lack the all-round game and the consistency to challenge someone like Murray, or Djokovic, or Nadal. However, provided he puts in the hard work and remains mentally tough, Milos will surely have a bright future ahead of him.

Following his 6-4,1-6,7-6 victory over him compatriot Vasek Pospisil, Milos Raonic hit the jackpot. He booked his place in the biggest final of his career and was guaranteed his top 10 debut.

The first Canadian to reach the Rogers Cup final since 1969, Milos Raonic was no match for an utterly dominant Rafael Nadal. Although cheered by the partisan crowd, Milos lost his first Masters 1000 final 6-2,6-2. 

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Sorana Makes Everyone Believers

Although she was frequently ranked inside the top 30, Sorana Cirstea failed to produce any big damage since her dream run to the quarterfinals of the French Open in 2009. The Romanian showed glimpses of her immense potential now and then stunning a top ranked player, but she lacked the mental toughness to follow up on the big win. Her inability to put together a few consistently good matches prevented her from reaching a WTA final since her maiden triumph in Tashkent, in 2009.
It all changed last week, when a mentally improved Sorana overcame three top 10 players to book her place in her first Premier final in Toronto. Although she ended up being crushed by world No.1, Serena Williams, the Romanian proved she has what it takes to finally take that much-expected step forward. 

Just a few weeks ago, Sorana played a good tournament in Stanford, but then was no match to Slovak Dominika Cibulkova, who prevailed 6-4,6-0 in their semifinal clash. The defeat marked the tenth consecutive semifinal loss, so it was mandatory that the Romanian would stop the unfortunate series as soon as possible. She chose to do so on the biggest of occasions, at the Premier event in Toronto.
It was a magical week for Cirstea whose fighting spirit came to life during her second round clash with former world No.1, Dane Caroline Wozniacki. Popular Sorana caught fire at 5-7,5-6,15-40, saving two match points to level the match before sealing an epic 5-7,7-6,6-4 victory. If usually such a triumph was followed by a poor performance, this time she backed up the win, overcoming another former world No.1, Jelena Jankovic, to reach the quarterfinals. As a strong evidence of her much improved mental strength, she went on to dispose of last year's finalists, defending champion, Petra Kvitova, respectively Chinese Na Li. Her win over Li was utterly impressive. After cruising through the first set, the Romanian fought her way up in the second, coming from 1-4 and 2-5 to push the act into a tiebreak. She once again recovered after a slow start, winning six of the last seven points to book her place in the final. Her dream run was eventually stopped by world No.1, Serena William, who prevailed in a one-sided encounter to lift her 54th career title, 8th of the year.
Despite the painful loss, Serena has plenty of reasons to be proud of her Toronto ride: she ended the semifinals curse, reaching her biggest career final, plus she showed she has the game to tackle the the world's best. As a consequence, she has taken a step closer to breaking into the top 20 for the very first time, peaking at 21st in the latest rankings, her highest position yet. Next big goal for Sorana: winning her second WTA title. As Darren Cahill inspiredly said during his on-court coaching, she "made everyone believers” this week, so keep up the great work, Sorana!

Despite the loss to Serena Williams, Sorana Cirstea has finally achieved the big result she was desperately searching. With three consecutive top 10 victories against Wozniacki, Kvitova, respectively Li, the Romanian showed her huge potential in Toronto, reaching the first Premier final of her career.

photos: GETTY IMAGES

Petkovic Still Searching for A Happy Ending

After enduring a slew of misfortunes that saw her miss almost the entire 2012 season, it seems that the popular Andrea Petkovic is finally getting close to the level that propelled her inside the top 10 in October 2011. A fan favourite all over the world, Petkovic has been to hell and back in the last few months: every time she was attempting to make a comeback, misery struck and she would either injure something else or worsen an existing damage. Some, including herself, were starting to question her ability to return to the top of the game.

However, the ferocious German is not one that gives up easily. She keep fighting and, judging by the last results, it seems she has finally regained her momentum and her consistency, two key requirements in order to be able to fulfill her ambitions. Nevertheless, there is one thing that is currently missing from Petkovic's game and that is her ability to close out matches, especially big matches, like a WTA final. So far this season the German reached two final acts, but lost both of them in straight sets. In Nurnberg, in front of a partisan crowd, she was defeated 6-3,6-3 by Romanian sensation, Simona Halep, and on Sunday, she lost a second championship match, in Washington, succumbing to defending champion, Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova.

Petkovic has had a solid campaign in DC, defeating compatriot Mona Barthel and Frenchwoman Alize Cornet to make the final. Against Rybarikova she got off to a flying start winning the first four games and even holding a point for a 5-0 lead. She didn't take it and the Slovak got right back into the match, winning the next eight games to build a 6-4,2-0 lead. Andrea woke up and forced a second set tie-break, but could not cope with the inspired display of her opponent, who once again played great tennis under pressure, sealing a hard-fought 6-4,7-6 victory.

Although Rybarikova played sensational tennis at times, I feel this was yet another missed opportunity for Petkovic. What's even more worrying is that she has now lost three consecutive finals, her last title coming in Strasbourg, in 2011, when her opponent, Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli, retired hurt after the first set.

It's definitely good to see Petko back on court and having fun, but she needs to find that extra mental strength to enable her to make better use of her opportunities. If she does so, I am sure she will get her happy ending by the end of the season.

Petkovic played her first final of the season in Nurnberg. Although cheered by a partisan crowd, the German lost 6-3,6-3 to Romanian Simona Halep.

Although she had her chances, popular Petko lost a second consecutive final, in Washington DC, falling 4-6,6-7 to defending champion, Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova.

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Has Invincible Vika Gone Astray?

Not sure if it's only me, but I feel that Azarenka has lost some of the huge momentum she had last year, or even at the start of this new season. Back then there were times when she looked invincible, like she would go on and win each and every tournament she enters. The only potential, though big threat would come from Serena Williams, her nemesis, bur other than that Vika really was untouchable. In the last couple of months though I feel like she has forgotten how to win championships. It's true that she barely played due to "injuries," but still she has accumulated a few surprising defeats to players she should normally beat. She lost twice to Sharapova (i.e. WTA Masters and Roland Garros), to Ekaterina Makarova in Rome, and now to Samantha Stosur in Carlsbad.

Having won all eight meetings with Stosur, the Belorussian was expected to crush the Australian in the California final. However, drawing confidence from their last two encounters, when she managed to push the battle into the decider, a determined Sam refused to give in this time. She was in control from start to finish, refusing Vika's every chance of getting back into the match. Her biggest weapon was the serve, which she fully utilized to save 11 of the 12 break points she faced. Throughout the final, Vika looked fragile, vulnerable, and in desperate need of a miraculous turnaround to match her opponent's superb display. While Sam was kicking aces and strong first serves and was being aggressive coming to the net or finding the lines with her big forehand, the former world No.1 struggled in vain to produce anything similar. Stosur remained focus and eventually served out a commanding 6-2,6-3 victory to win her first title since the 2011 US Open.

Did Vika lost her way, or was she just having a bad day on Sunday? I was hoping to find the answer this week when she was scheduled to play in Toronto, but guess what, she withdrew last minute citing a lower bad injury. Again the so-called injuries?! It is very hard to tell with Azarenka. In the spring, she had a really good chance of regaining the No.1 ranking provided she played more. However, she kept pulling out due to different minor health issues. Then came the nasty fall at Wimbledon, but even then I felt she could have pushed it a few more rounds, just to better evaluate the damage. Anyway, she just made her comeback, played a solid tournament and now she is injured again?! This sounds fishy, especially as she looked unbothered during the final. I am a huge Azarenka fan, but I would just like to see her play more. She really needs it if she wants to challenge Serena for the year-end No.1. Go Vika, #letswintheUSOpen!

Making her return since the nasty knee injury she sustained at Wimbledon, Vika was no match to Australian Samantha Stosur in the Carlsbad final. Although she has won all previous eight encounters with Sam, this time she had to admit defeat, losing 2-6,3-6.

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The Swiss Miss is Back

When she tested positive for cocaine in 2007, Hingis' career looked to be headed for an abrupt, sad ending. Although she strongly denied the allegation, the Swiss Miss decided not to fight the decision and chose to retire immediately. Her love for the sport would not succumb though and in recent years, Martina has assumed a relatively active role, playing the World Team Tennis, accepting invitations to several Grand Slams, as well as coaching Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for a short period this spring. The Swiss also launched her own fashion line in collaboration with Tonic.
Probably her short-lived pro career keep haunting her, and just a few days after being inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame, Martina announced she is making a second comeback, teaming up with Daniela Hantuchova to play doubles in Carlsbad. Following her first round win, the Swiss Miss revealed her plans, which includes competing at Toronto, Cincinnati and the US Open. She made no commitment beyond that though, saying: "If it's a complete disaster, I would not want to continue, but I hope that's not the case. I don't have any expectations, but I wouldn't put myself in this position if I didn't feel that I couldn't compete at this level. In (World) Team Tennis I was good enough, but is it good enough to be able to compete at this level? We'll see."
Judging by the commanding performance in her first round match, it definitely seems Martina's level is good enough to enable her to compete with the world's best. Hingis and Daniela launched their campaign in style, rooting recent Stanford finalist, Julia Goerges and Darija Jurak, 6-1,6-1 in 51 minutes. Their next opponents are none other than Stanford winners, American Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears.
Despite the successful comeback, Hingis claims she won't be playing singles, at least "not at this point." "You have to put so much effort into it. Playing tournaments is the easy part, but it's all the behind the scenes training that people don't see, the six to eight hours of training and really the older you get, the harder it gets. I wouldn't want to come out and play one or two matches and lose in the third round. That's not my type of personality."

Independent on the results, it's a great treat to have my old time favourite back on the WTA tour. Martina is a pretty competitive player who is still hungry for success, so I am sure she will achieve great results with Daniela. If all goes well, I believe we will see the Swiss Miss play singles pretty soon, mostly probably at next year's Australian Open. You go Martina, show them how to play tennis!

After winning all the invitation majors she entered in the last couple of years, Hingis decided to make a second comeback to the WTA tour, teaming up with Slovak Daniela Hantuchova to play in Carlsbad. The duo won their opening match 6-1,6-1 in 51 minutes.

A fan favourite all over the world, Martina's long-awaited comeback made the delight of the Carlsbad crowd, who were ecstatic to see the Swiss Miss back on action.

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