Comebacks can be tricky in tennis. Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati managed to pull theirs off with no real trouble. Bjorn Borg crashed and burned when he tried it.

The tennis world was shocked at the end of 2002 when Martina Hingis hung up her racket at the age of 22, saying she needed time for both her mind and her body to heal. But in sports, time marches on, showing little sympathy for those who stand still. So Hingis’ decision to return to tennis after three full years away from the tour was greeted with some skepticism.Hingis left tennis after undergoing surgery on both ankles, and because of recurring foot problems. But many of her critics also claimed at the time it was because she could no longer handle the power of the Williams sisters and the other big hitters who were beginning to dominate the sport. Asked in July 2005 if Hingis had what it takes to compete in today’s game, no less an expert than Billy Jean King replied, “Not sure. That’s a question mark.”
Ironically, King made the comments while watching Hingis play doubles in a World Team Tennis match in Boston. Coming up moments later was an eagerly awaited singles match between Hingis and the woman she was named after, Martina Navratilova. It was a much publicized first meeting of two of the sport’s legends, but the match never lived up to the hype. Hingis won 5-0, bageling the then 48-year-old Navratilova with ease. It was probably more of a taste of things to come than anybody knew at the time.

Hingis did return to the main tennis tour and has now completed her first year of competition, having played in 20 tournaments crisscrossing the globe from Australia to Madrid. She lost 19 of her matches, but won an amazing 53 of them. She won two tournaments, got to two other finals, reached the quarter finals of two majors and captured a grand slam mixed doubles title. She even wound up among the eight women who qualified for the year end championships.

But how about the big question: could she compete with the big hitters? Hingis recorded victories over Sharapova, Kuznetsova, Petrova, and Dementieva, all big hitters in the top ten. She also beat Lindsey Davenport in their only meeting and went 1-1 against Venus Williams. She took Clijsters and Henin-Hardenne to three sets. She lost all three of her matches with then world number one Amelie Mauresmo, but made the last two meetings very close three-setters that could have gone either way. For her efforts, she won more than one million dollars in prize money — one of only eight women players this year to cross the million dollar line in earnings.

But with of all of her accomplishments in 2006, the most impressive was the ranking she achieved. She started the year without a ranking and was No. 349 at the start of the Australian Open in January. By November, she’d climbed all the way back up to No. 7 in the world. It may be the greatest one year jump in the rankings of any player in history.

All this is not to say there were no bumps in the road for her. While playing well in Australia and Roland Garros, she had a disappointing Wimbledon and US Open. She lost a final in Montreal to lower-ranked Ana Ivanovic and lost in Seoul (where she was seeded No. 1) to Sania Mirza, a player she had beaten in straights sets in their two previous meetings.

Both of these losses came in the second half of the season, when Hingis seemed to slow down. She did not get her second wind until the year end championships, where she suddenly looked to be playing better tennis than at any time this year. She played three three-setters in three days, winning one of them, but showing improved serving and amazingly aggressive play in each of those matches. Earlier, Hingis had disclosed in an interview that she was suffering from an iron deficiency, something that could have been one cause for her lack of energy in long matches. Hingis, who has never been any more afraid of a microphone than of an opponent’s racket, summed up her own year, saying her play in Madrid had vindicated her decision to return to tennis. To her, it proved she could compete against the world’s very best players.

So what did 2006 prove to the rest of us? For starters, that the skeptics were wrong. The top girls haven’t gotten any weaker. They are still banging the ball very, very hard, much harder than Hingis. But she has found a way to stay competitive with them, as she proved in Madrid. While her second serve still is a liability, her first serve now seems on the border of becoming a weapon. And her aggressiveness definitely is a weapon. Hingis is one of the few players who can successfully serve and volley and she can throw that tactic into the mix to further confuse her opponents. Combined with her creative baseline play, her legendary volleying skills and the lobs and drop shots that made her famous, Hingis, along with new world number one Justine Henin-Hardenne, is the player with the greatest variety of shots in the game.

Yet the key seems to me to be aggressiveness. Moving forward takes two things, courage and energy. She showed the courage in her match against Henin-Hardenne in Madrid, where she flubbed volley after volley, but kept coming in anyway. She lost the first set 2-6 and was down 2-5 in the second, but simply never gave up and wound up pulling out the second set in a tie-breaker. She was able to fight off match points and battle back from another big deficit in the third set against Mauresmo, which also demonstrated her improved conditioning in the wake of a very unfavorable schedule. If she shows up in Australia with both her courage and her improved conditioning, I expect even better results in 2007 than she achieved in 2006.

Finally, there is one more point which needs to be addressed in any appraisal of Martina Hingis’ 2006 season. Hingis walked off courts to louder ovations this year than any other woman player. Once tagged by Sports Illustrated as the tennis’ biggest villain, Hingis has become one of its most beloved players. Her smile, once called an arrogant smirk by many journalists, is now cherished by all those who missed the upbeat personality she brings to tennis. Even her severest critics have become fans to greater or lesser degrees. For many, it’s because Hingis brings back clever, stylish play to a sport that had come to be dominated by “big babes” who can hit the cover off the ball, but also hit it out as often as they hit it in.

Once mentored by Chris Evert, Hingis is one of the heirs of Evert’s tennis legacy. She is an average-sized woman who simply has great on-court savvy and remarkable athletic skills. She succeeds without overwhelming power and that gives hope to normal size players, both amateur and pro alike.

Hingis has appreciated the warmth she has been shown by fans around the world and gives off every sign that she is working hard to continue to deserve their affection. She also continued to show a social conscience in 2006. In Calcutta, India, Hingis not only won a tennis tournament, but found time to visit the shrine of Mother Teresa and donate funds to an orphanage. Her work with children, especially the world’s poverty stricken children, means that tennis now has back in the fold one of its very best ambassadors.

Swiss Roger Federer won his twelfth title after beating American James Blake in the final round of the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, 6-0,6-3, 6-4, in ninety-seven minutes. Federer’s win made him the first ever tennis professional player to earn $8 million in prize money in a single season. Federer’s win also further extended his dominance over Blake to 6-0 in career head-to-head wins.In the first set, Federer outclassed Blake in every aspect of the game, despite Federer incurring his only double fault for the match. Federer started the set with an ace. While never looking bothered, as opposed to tensed-looking Blake, Federer swept the six games, in just twenty-six minutes.

Both players held their respective serves during the first two games of the second set. Blake took the second game of the second set, avoiding a possible double-bagel. After three more games, Federer led Blake, 4-1, thanks for the Swiss’ aces and great retrieving shots which Blake deemed unreturnable. Federer went on to win the set, after both players held their respective serves twice.
Blake opened and closed the first game of the crucial third set with an ace, giving him a boost of confidence.Not to be left out though, Federer raced to a 40-0 lead and sealed the second game with an ace before winning the next two games for a 3-1 lead. Blake held his serve when Federer smashed a ball out of the court, at 3-2. Two games later, Federer led Blake and was serving for the match, at 5-2. Refusing to give the match just yet to Federer, Blake broke Federer’s serve for the first time in the match, 5-3, to stay in the match. With a service-love game, Blake held his serve, 5-4 to further delay Federer’s looming win. With a service-love game, Federer converted his first of three match points he earned, with an ace, 6-4.

With his win, Federer extended his winning streak to twenty-nine matches, set a new high of 8370 ranking points,and broke the record 160 weeks set by Jimmy Connors as world number one.

Kim Clijsters has revealed that she intends to retire next year. This stunning decision came out after she turned down an offer from the Belgian Olympic Committee to compete in the 2008 Beijing Games.

At age 23 one would think that Kim Clijsters still has a lot to offer the game and she does. However her decision is probably due in part to the fact that she has suffered a number of injuries over the last couple of years and spent long periods on the side line. While she is still one of the top players in the world (currently number 5) she must be concerned about the effects on her body and health.

I for one hope she carries on for a few years yet. I think she is a fantastic player and still has much to offer.

Swiss Roger Federer showed American Andy Roddick why he’s the number one tennis player in their round-robin match at the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai by winning over Roddick in two and a half hours, 4-6,7(10)-6(8), 6-4. This is the twelfth time that Federer won over Roddick, in thirteen meetings.  The Swiss world number one started rusty, often times committing unforced errors and double faults. Roddick took advantage of Federer’s rustiness, by breaking his serve. Then, the American came up with an excellent service game that left the Swiss scrambling, to hold his serve and lead 2-0. After nine games, at 5-4 Roddick found himself serving for the set, converting his third set point, Roddick won the first set 6-4.

In the second set, both players  gave their best. They were all over the court, with Roddick coming to the net more often. With both players trying to hold to their respective serves, the score went to 6-6, after Federer failed to break Roddick’s serve. In the tie-breaker, Roddick, aided by his booming serves and tenacity,led Federer, 3-0. Federer’s tactic was to force Roddick into the net, and it worked, Federer narrowed down Roddick’s tie-break lead to 5-4 with an ace. At 6-4, with Roddick leading, the crowd went wild, as Roddick has match point. With a passing shot, Federer saved Roddick’s first match point, 6-5. Federer successfully evened the tie-break at 6-6 with Roddick incurring mistakes. After six serves, Federer won the tie-breaker 10-8, and the match headed for a third set.

Roddick held his serve in the first game of the third set when Federer returned wide a drop shot by Roddick. Federer then sealed the second game with a backhand winner to even the third set, at 1-1. Using a combination of backhand and cross-court forehand, Federer went on to win the next two games, breaking Roddick’s serve and holding his serve respectively for a 3-1 lead. The next four games saw both players fought hard to hold their respective serves twice in a row, Federer still led Roddick, 5-3. A seemingly tired Roddick managed to win the ninth game, forcing Federer to serve for the match. Federer then fired two aces, then earned three match points. With an ace and a fist-pump afterwards, Federer sealed the match, 6-4.

“I think he played the perfect match for two sets,” Federer said. “Maybe one serve lacked in the end so it was unfortunate for him.I tried my best. Obviously, it’s always hard to control against Andy when he’s serving so big like in the first two sets.I know I got a bit lucky in the end. But I tried hard and it paid off in the end.”

Federer went on to praise Roddick’s serve, “I think that was definitely one of his best matches against me I mean, he came so close.I think he was serving incredibly, maybe the best ever against me. I was definitely having a hard time reading his serve.That’s what’s been happening for the last half season of this season for him. He’s really been able to turn up his serve.”

Swiss Roger Federer exacted revenge over Argentine David Nalbandian for the loss he suffered at last year’s Tennis Master’s Cup final round, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, in one hour twenty-seven minutes. Federer now leads Nalbandian 8-6 in career head-to-head wins.

Federer went on to win the tight first game of the match. Nalbandian answered back by winning the following game, which was a tight game as well, to even the score at 1-1. The Argentine took his chance of breaking the Swiss’ serve thanks to the Argentine’s great forehand winner to lead the Swiss, 2-1. He then went on to hold his serve, extending his lead over Federer to 3-1. Unperturbed by Nalbandian’s lead, Federer held his serve with an excellent love service game, never allowing Nalbandian to break, reducing Nalbandian’s lead to 3-2. Federer countered a drop shot, which Nalbandian tried to force, by blasting it down Nalbandian’s court, erasing the Argentine’s lead, and making it 3-3. With Federer’s weak second serve, Nalbandian took the next two games for a 5-3 lead. In the ninth game, Federer handed the first set that lasted thirty-seven minutes to Nalbandian, courtesy of the double-fault that Federer made in the match.

Both players held their respective serves in the first two games of the second set. Nalbandian lost his momentum in the second set as he kept committing unforced errors and double-faults. The next games saw Nalbandian moving Federer around the court but to no avail as the Swiss world number one won the next five games to take the second set, 6-1, in twenty-seven minutes.

With his momentum still intact from the second set, Federer, aided by unreturnable serves, showed his mastery of the game and the error-laden Nalbandian, surged to a commanding 5-0 lead. Refusing to be handed a bagel, Nalbandian finally won a game by holding his serve, 5-1. Federer served for the match, converting his first of the three match points he earned.

“I had to make him hit some errors, but he wasn’t doing that at the beginning,” Federer said.