Majoli’s Upset Halts Hingis’ Coronation

PARIS —  The seeming inevitability of 16-year-old Martina Hingis’ coronation at the French Open should itself have been cause for suspicion.

Starting the year by winning the Australian Open title, becoming the youngest winner of a Grand Slam title in this century, the youngest to ascend to No. 1, the 37-match winning streak; these were the telltale signs that indicated it must all end.

It did Saturday, in the French Open final against Iva Majoli. There was as much shock as relief in Majoli’s 6-4, 6-2 defeat of the top-seeded Hingis. Women’s tennis can breathe again.

The ninth-seeded Majoli, talented but overlooked, became the first Croatian to win a Grand Slam title and is the lowest-seeded player to win a Grand Slam event in the Open Era. She will move to No. 5 in next week’s world rankings.

From the start of the match, Hingis had none of her former assurance. She’s understandably lacking match fitness after being off the tour for six weeks. That unscheduled break came after Hingis fell from her horse at home in Switzerland and required surgery on her left knee.

The French Open has been her first tournament back. The ease with which she had progressed here after undergoing surgery only enhanced her mystique.

But she was revealed as human Saturday, and can now escape the pressure her success has engendered.

“I’m kind of at the end of my power,” Hingis said, sounding 16 for the first time.

Majoli, herself only 19, is--like Hingis--a smiling, ebullient and happy teenager, with all of the usual priorities.

“Today I am ready to party,” Majoli said. “I’m not in the States, so I can party, even though I’m not 21.”

Majoli said to celebrate she was going to go to dinner with her parents, coaches, her boyfriend, and fellow player Mary Pierce.

“We’re going to dinner then send home the older ones, and then . . . party on!”

The day began with portent--a sudden and violent thunderstorm drenched the city. It departed as quickly as it arrived and left in its wake blue skies and brilliant sunshine.

The center court at Roland Garros was ringed with former women’s champions on hand to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the women’s final. The event’s recent history has been dominated by a handful of players. For 10 years only three women have shared the French Open title--Steffi Graf, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Monica Seles.

All won titles here as teenagers. For all of her poise and preternatural maturity, Hingis has been a teenager here too. She has streaked her hair with a variety of temporary colors and painted her fingernails to match her tennis outfit. She spoke longingly of her two horses. She has giggled.

She also revealed her growing temperament. French Open officials were miffed at Hingis’ demands that she set her own match times. WTA officials counseled her about her brash, confident statements.

In Saturday’s match, Hingis was given a warning for racket abuse after she threw her racket in frustration in the second set.

Majoli pressured Hingis in a way the No. 1 had not experienced at this tournament. She held 17 break points against Hingis while facing none on her own serve.

Majoli elected to serve and got a break point in the first game of the match. Hingis survived that and six break points in the fifth game.

Majoli got the break in the seventh game. Hingis staved off two break points then double-faulted to bring on another. Majoli went ahead, 4-3, on the next point. She served for the set in the 10th game.

It started again in the second set, with Majoli holding three break points against an increasingly perturbed Hingis. Hingis held to open the set, but lost her serve to go down, 2-3, double-faulting on the opening point.

Demoralized, Hingis chose that strategic moment to take a bathroom break. The timeout, which Hingis had a right to request, did serve to break Majoli’s rhythm.

“You think, ‘Does she really have to go to the bathroom?’ ” Majoli said. “We are friends, but on the court, you want to win. You do things you may not mean to do.”

The stranded Majoli restlessly stirred in her chair and finally got up and began to stretch. The crowd immediately responded, hopefully; two years ago Majoli was in a similar position against Pierce when Majoli whiled away the time by rallying with a ball boy. The fans were delighted.

Upon her return to the court, Hingis was roundly whistled by the crowd that had so embraced her for two weeks.

When play resumed, Majoli held serve and broke at love to go up 5-2. Hingis--always tenacious and always trying to think her way out of jams--looked without a plan.

Again, she chose to stop play. Hingis took a three-minute injury timeout and a trainer massaged her thighs. Hingis said she felt as if she were beginning to cramp.

After her 2-hour 18-minute match against Seles in the semifinals, Hingis complained of muscle cramps. She also has been playing doubles with Sanchez Vicario, losing a three-setter in the semifinals Friday.

When the players returned to the court after the changeover, Majoli was in a position to do what players want: serve for the championship.