People will go on about how badly Kim played, making so many UEs. But it must be acknowledged that Martina played a part in forcing her into error and stopping her from getting a rhythym, for large portions of the match.

Yes in the end Kim hit through Martina, but Martina acquitted herself admirably I think. She used her guile to great effectiveness and kept it together at the crucial times, bar the last game, which I think was a very sad way to end such an entertaining match.

Some of Martina's tactics were :bow: but not enough to fend off Kim's power in the end. On a side note Kim is always going to be difficult for Martina to play as she's so athletic and one of the most powerful players. That match actually reminded a lot of when Martina used to play Serena before she retired.

It could've gone either way if Martina had perhaps kept it up a little more at the end, and/or Kim hadn't come up with the shots she needed to. As some of Kim's winners were just sizzling in the last few games :D

And well done to Kim, you came up with the shots you needed to in a Serenaesque manner. Im sure you'll play even better against Maria as you like her game :D.

And on the plus side for Martina, Kim won't be there next year so hopefully she can go another step further :ok:

:ok: :ok: :ok:

I have to agree with SerenaSW19 here.She really did keep Kim off track for the whole match.I also found that Kim doesnt like high looping balls.Something Mauresmo used against her in the Madrid!
Well done Martina,but really its heartbreaking that my girl lost! :(

martina blinked in the 3rd, no question. but there are surely positives that she can take away from this match. she had kim, but i knew it was over when martina served 2-0 in the 3rd and was broked so easily at love or 15 - you got the sense she was letting up.

Well, she was certainly mixing it up in the first set to throw Clijsters off her rhythm, but I still feel Martina became a little too passive during the second, and Kim took full advantage.

Martina also frequently came into the net on nothing (she won less then half of her approaches); whilst the aggressive intention is good, unless she hits a decent shot to come in on she's just going to get blasted.

Kim was dreadfully inconsistent, and although I do agree that part of that was due to the different spins and pace Martina threw her way I think it was largely down to her having an off-day. She was netting easy put-away shots and firing forehands long from all parts of the court, and it wasn't due to the effectiveness of Martina's strokes.

That's just my opinion though :)

I agree with LDF. If she continued into the second set what she was doing in the first, she would have won. I think she thought Kim had already thrown the match away so she took her foot of the pedal. I thought it was an horrendous performance by both players

OMG, how did martina let Kim get away with that.............come on Martina :rolleyes: :doh:

Such a great, solid first set from Hingis in the first set, keeping the ball deep and constructing the angles beautifuly. Serve was holding up, and exposing the frail technique of KIm.

Then in the second set, i feel Hingis underestimated the situation. After holding to go 1-0 up, she really should've trie to break there and then. Because as soon as she lost serve, you knew Hingis wouldnt be able to get back in it. Far too passive at times, and allowing Kim some rythm she should not have been allowed.

hingis's tactics became increasingly ineffectual in the second, some horribly timed net approaches and serve was going down hill.

Kim hit a horrific 62 winners, and still hingis couldnt take advantage. What an oppurtunity lost :rolleyes:

Well I think that's a bit harsh Liam :rolleyes:

I was just trying to look on the bright side. Neither played well at the same time, but it was far from a horrendous match.

Lots of errors, patchy performance from Kim, and I agree LDF she missed quite a lot of sitters. But it's not like she couldn't hit the tennis ball at all today, she was erratic but No worse than Serena in her last match imo, and they both came up with the shots when they needed them :)

dl "horrific 62 winners" roflmao

It's not that bad considering she hit like 80 at Miami last year :rolleyes:

see my wosrt match ever thread for my thoughts on it :angry: roflmao

I couldn't find it :lol:

Im sure I can guess the gist of it though roflmao

At least it went to three sets and had shifts of momentum, more than you can say for most Kim matches roflmao

My opinion too :) It was an awful match from Kim, no two ways about it, and I don't think Hingis should be proud, her opponent hit 62 unforced errors, and Martina didn't even come close to winning...

She needs to find an attacking play, come to the net more, go for the lines, she can't keep relying on her opponents to hit a slew of errors, and her record against the elite group just keeps getting worse...

I was desperate to see some angled shots, or slice approach shots, or anything from Martina that could force more errors from Kim, but apart from the odd spot of brilliance, she was just tamely handing the ball back to Kim

Peronally it looked like Kim was losing her patience. Which she use to do a few years' back. I think that's what all those unforced errors were all about. She kept thinking Martina would not return many of her shots; but she did.

Martina was great. What more can be said. :bow: And poor Kim who's retiring has to leave with a cloud over her head once again. :rolleyes:

The cloud is over Martinas head, in that she cant beat a player who makes that many mistakes. Kim played bad, but one good match in the semis and her 1/4 final will be forgotten. Martina will not forget this in a hurry

I've watched Kim way too many times to forget how she'd lose her concentration. I thought she moved beyond that recently. Yes she made many unforced errors but why? :(

Most of her shots looked technically ok, her movement was good, i can only imagine she was nervous

she should have won, but as SW said, she should be proud of her performance, seeing as so many members of this board were predicting a whitewash for clijsters :tsk:

We never expected a Clijsters breakdown. Thats all that saved Hingis from a whitewash

I think some people are still being too harsh on Martina. Yep she should've won. But she can take positives from it. I started this thread mainly to try and get a bit of balance as I could see the Kim sprayed a million errors and still won arguments coming :rolleyes:

Yes Kim did make a lot of UEs, she was erratic to say the least but I've seen FAR worse performances from Kim, ones where she just couldn't hit the ball back without missing roflmao So to say Martina basically bollocked it up is quite harsh.

Martina should've been more attacking buts it's easier said that done when you have super athlete Kim Clijsters on the other side of the net. Next time maybe. You've got to assume Hingis in learning with each match :shrug:

I respect your opinion Liam :) and the opinion of everyone else who has posted on this thread, but Martina came out of the blocks firing quicker than Kim did and prevented her from getting any sort of rhthym in the first set. And she nearly did it in the third; and it's not like Martina was making 0 UEs herself or that she had a particularly high first serve percentage. Given her form in the previous round I think Martina has acquited herself well.

Considering Kim's form in the previous round she did not acquiet herself well, however you've got give her credit for the win.

this year will judged so much differently than last. in 06 she proved she could come back and win be in the top 10. but for 07, what's good enough?? what's the point?? i guess in the end only martina should judge that. but i wish she was big enough to change her game a bit. learn from these mistakes, build on them. who knows what could happen. yet for now, i do still think she's a contender.