Top seed Martina Hingis continued her mastery over Monica Seles with a 7-6 4-6 6-3 victory to win the Pan Pacific Open for the fourth time today. The Swiss world number four, winner in 1997, 1999 and 2000, improved her record this year to 14-1 with a convincing performance in her sixth straight final at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
Hingis, who now owns a 14-4 record against Seles, recovered from 1-5 down in the first-set tie-break to take it 8-6 as she pressed her American opponent into a series of errors from the baseline. The third-seeded Seles fought back in the second set, securing a break in the seventh game thanks to a mis-hit return.
Hingis struck back immediately, forcing Seles into a backhand error on break point to level at 4-4 but Seles broke again in the next game with a crunching forehand pass and held serve to take the match into a third set.
Hingis came back to dominate the third set, breaking the American in the second game and holding for 3-0. Hingis closed out proceedings with a service winner on her first match point after one hour 38 minutes to secure her 40th singles title since turning professional in 1994.
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
