The seven biggest rivalries in women's tennis, part 5: Martina Hingis vs. Lindsay Davenport

Between 1997 and 2001 there were two players who made up 16 titles on the WTA tour. We're talking about Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport - the fifth part of our list of the greatest rivalries in women's tennis.

Wer gewinnt? Tippt jetzt!

18+ | Interwetten Gaming Ltd. MGA/B2C/110/2004 interwetten.com

© Getty Images

When Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport faced each other between 1997 and 2001, it was only in the final battle for the title, in the final. The fact that there were 16 final matches en suite is an impressive demonstration of the importance of this duel over the years for women's tennis. Although Martina Hingis has won more Grand Slam titles in her career, it was Lindsay Davenport who was just ahead with 14 wins from 25 duels in head-to-head. Davenport is also one step ahead in terms of title on the WTA Tour. There were 55 in total when the American ended her career in 2008.

Most of the duels between Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport took place on Hartcourt, the surface that was favored by both players. In fact, there was only one duel that took place off the hard court at the French Open in 1995 - the second encounter between the two players at the time. This rivalry had started a few months earlier in Sydney when the number 87 in the world at the time and just 15-year-old Martina Hingis had a great sensation. With 6: 1, 3: 6 and 6: 3, the Swiss defeated the then seventh in the world rankings, Lindsay Davenport - the starting signal for a twelve-year rivalry had been given.

Davenport got some revenge during these years, but the victories in 1998 at the US Open and 2000 at the Australian Open were particularly special. Both times the two met in Grand Slam finals, both times the American was allowed to leave the place as the winner. Davenport had thus completed two of her three Grand Slam titles with a win over competitor Hingis. These were the only two duels that involved a Grand Slam title, a chance to reciprocate for the two lost finals if Martina Hingis didn't get it.

Five years break

This was also due to the fact that the two athletes did a little example of each other after 2001. While Davenport once again showed up at Grand Slams from 2003 to 2006 and played in two finals in 2005 alone, Hingis did not achieve any notable successes in these years. The same applies to Lindsay Davenport in 2001 and 2002, in which Hingis was again the much more successful player in major tournaments. After the three clashes in 2001, the signs stood for a long time as if this rivalry was going to have a highly inglorious end. Until 2006, the semi-final task Hingis` was 2: 1 for Davenport in the first set the last time the two faced each other on the court.

The two deserved a better end and got it: after a five-year hiatus, the last sixteen of Indian Wells was Lindsay Davenport against Martina Hingis for the very last time. A place where both Hingis and Davenport won the title with a final victory over their opponent. And in the last encounter it was another big battle, a game in which the third set - as so often between the two - had to make the decision. In the end, it was Martina Hingis, four years her junior, who defeated Lindsay Davenport.

The facts

The encounters at Grand Slams