Surgery to repair Martina Hingis's left ankle went smoothly on Monday, her doctor said, but it is too early to say whether the former world number one will be able to resume her tennis career. "The operation went very well. I am very satisfied," Dr Heinz Buehlmann told Reuters after the 90-minute surgical procedure in which he replaced two damaged ligaments.
The Swiss athlete's foot is now "absolutely stable" but will take six to eight weeks to heal, he said. Both her heels are inflamed, a condition that should now clear up if the operation has been successful, Buehlmann said. Weeks of rest should also help the knee and hip problems that have plagued the 21-year-old.
It is too soon to say whether Hingis's health problems could end her playing days, the surgeon said, noting he was keeping a close eye on the inflammation problem in her heels. "If that returns, the prognosis would be bad," he said.
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
