Justine Henin Vs Martina Hingis

[halalula1234]

Well i have chosen to compare these 2 ladies because they have a bit in common. They are both extremely talented and most of all they were the last small woman to dominate WTA without playing the bashing style of play.

Justine Won 7 Grand slam single titles no doubles
singles title 51 doubles title 2, 1 Gold medal 2004 olympics.
Martina Won 5 Grand slam single titles but also 9 in doubles 1 in mixed
singles title 47 doubles title 37
Justine Prize money US$19,461,375
Martina Prize money US$20,130,657

Who would be the greater?

power?
placements?
consistency?
forehand?
backhand?
over all fh/bh?
speed?
footwork?
Volley?
Serve?
Mental toughness?
Style of play?
Whos more fun to watch?

 

[lambielspins]

power? Henin by a HUGE HUGE margin
placements? Hingis
consistency? Hingis
forehand? Henin
backhand? Henin
over all fh/bh? Henin
speed? Henin
footwork? Henin
Volley? Even
Serve? Henin
Mental toughness? Henin by a bit, neither that good
Style of play? Henin
Whos more fun to watch? Debateable

The year Hingis dominated was 1997 and the field sucked bigtime that year. Graf either out injured or playing extremely injured and unable to produce even adequate tennis for her standards, Seles and Davenport big as buffalos that year, Spirlea and Pierce wildly inconsistent, Venus extremely raw and new, Sanchez and Martinez atleast temporarily washed up. That left as her main rivals were 30 year old mentally fragile grass court specialist Jana Novotna, Amanda Coetzer, and Iva Majoli. Henin had to deal with more power hitters and a stronger field, and while she was never as dominant as Hingis's career year of 1997 she sustained being a slam winner and contender for #1 ranking alot longer.

 

[halalula1234]

power? Henin by a HUGE HUGE margin
placements? Hingis
consistency? Hingis
forehand? Henin
backhand? Henin
over all fh/bh? Henin
speed? Henin
footwork? Henin
Volley? Even
Serve? Henin
Mental toughness? Henin by a bit, neither that good
Style of play? Henin
Whos more fun to watch? Debateable

The year Hingis dominated was 1997 and the field sucked bigtime that year. Graf either out injured or playing extremely injured and unable to produce even adequate tennis for her standards, Seles and Davenport big as buffalos that year, Spirlea and Pierce wildly inconsistent, Venus extremely raw and new, Sanchez and Martinez atleast temporarily washed up. That left as her main rivals were 30 year old mentally fragile grass court specialist Jana Novotna, Amanda Coetzer, and Iva Majoli. Henin had to deal with more power hitters and a stronger field, and while she was never as dominant as Hingis's career year of 1997 she sustained being a slam winner and contender for #1 ranking alot longer.

i agree. I personally like henin better. She has way more energy stamina and plays more like what they do in mens tennis. with power, speed and volleying all done with quickness. hingis was like a powerless hitter even thought she was heavier and an inch taller than henin. she refused to hit the gym like henin did which result in her not being to keep up as consistently with the bigger stronger girls. even though i think hingis' game was not so exciting to watch its amazing how she could win matches wit it.

 

[ohlori]

power? Henin by a HUGE HUGE margin
placements? Hingis
consistency? Hingis
forehand? Henin
backhand? Henin
over all fh/bh? Henin
speed? Henin
footwork? Henin
Volley? Even
Serve? Henin
Mental toughness? Henin by a bit, neither that good
Style of play? Henin
Whos more fun to watch? Debateable

The year Hingis dominated was 1997 and the field sucked bigtime that year. Graf either out injured or playing extremely injured and unable to produce even adequate tennis for her standards, Seles and Davenport big as buffalos that year, Spirlea and Pierce wildly inconsistent, Venus extremely raw and new, Sanchez and Martinez atleast temporarily washed up. That left as her main rivals were 30 year old mentally fragile grass court specialist Jana Novotna, Amanda Coetzer, and Iva Majoli. Henin had to deal with more power hitters and a stronger field, and while she was never as dominant as Hingis's career year of 1997 she sustained being a slam winner and contender for #1 ranking a lot longer.

People tend to forget that Hingis spent a very long time at the #1 position without winning majors.
She was number 1 for 209 weeks, Henin 117 weeks.

 

[ohlori]

i agree. I personally like henin better. She has way more energy stamina and plays more like what they do in mens tennis. with power, speed and volleying all done with quickness. hingis was like a powerless hitter even thought she was heavier and an inch taller than henin. she refused to hit the gym like henin did which result in her not being to keep up as consistently with the bigger stronger girls. even though i think hingis' game was not so exciting to watch its amazing how she could win matches wit it.

Hingis played more defensively in the 2000's, before that she was better to watch.

 

[matchmaker]

I'd say Henin takes it. IMO the problem for Hingis was that although she was very talented and played a very precise and creative tennis, she was surpassed by the generation of female power hitters and Henin could cope a lot better with that.

 

[Warriorroger]

As fas as talent is concerned, Hingis is the better player, very clever, all the shots, but also a lazy player and not a very big hitter. Henin IMO was a very mechanical player, her shots didn't look natural to me, but she did more with what she got and had a better attitude.

 

[Oui c'est moi.]

I agree with the last 2 posts.
I loved both players but Henin edges just ahead. She worked hard to succeed 'against the odds'.

 

[halalula1234]

People tend to forget that Hingis spent a very long time at the #1 position without winning majors.
She was number 1 for 209 weeks, Henin 117 weeks.

thats because henin retired as well at No.1 but who knows maybe she might have that no.1 for longer or a little more.

I agree with the last 2 posts.
I loved both players but Henin edges just ahead. She worked hard to succeed 'against the odds'.

I agree. Henin is like a strong powerful woman in a small woman's body. she hit just as hard as some big hitters and moves even better than a lot of them

 

[tennis-hero]

Henin must have had great technique to generate the power she did (does?)

anyway, i much prefer Hingis because of her smarts.... she had no power but had the mind to beat the giants

she was like a David against a field of Goliaths and she dominated for a while as well

 

[shell]

thats because henin retired as well at No.1 but who knows maybe she might have that no.1 for longer or a little more.

Yes, I saw somewhere that someone calculated the points as her's dropped off last year, and she was still number 1 at the USO - after not having played one tournament in almost 5 months. So if she had played any, even poorly, she would probably have still finished the year at number 1. She wouldn't meet the Hingis weeks, but she would have had a lot more.



I agree. Henin is like a strong powerful woman in a small woman's body. she hit just as hard as some big hitters and moves even better than a lot of them

Agree here. And obviously I don't know how to do mult. quotes, as mine got stuck within the other quote.

 

[Winners or Errors]

Not shocked that Hingis gets no respect here, given the worship of power. Prime Hingis v. prime Henin, I think Hingis gets under Henin's skin and drives her nuts by taking her out of the zone. If you watch Hingis' best matches, and there was a long streak of them, you see her doing just that, taking people out of rhythm and toying with them. How hard they hit the ball didn't seem to matter.

A better comparison would be prime Seles v prime Henin. Their games would match up in a more obvious way. Seles was just unbeatable prior to the stabbing, and even though I hated watching her clean everyone's clock at the time, I wouldn't wish her fate on anyone. I was glad to see her come back, and Henin's run reminds me much more of her style.

Hingis could have held her own with either.

 

[anointedone]

Henin played alot different than either Seles and Hingis. If anything she was a combination of the best of both of them but minus Seles's mental toughness and Hingis's no unforced errors.

 

[CEvertFan]

Not shocked that Hingis gets no respect here, given the worship of power. Prime Hingis v. prime Henin, I think Hingis gets under Henin's skin and drives her nuts by taking her out of the zone. If you watch Hingis' best matches, and there was a long streak of them, you see her doing just that, taking people out of rhythm and toying with them. How hard they hit the ball didn't seem to matter.

A better comparison would be prime Seles v prime Henin. Their games would match up in a more obvious way. Seles was just unbeatable prior to the stabbing, and even though I hated watching her clean everyone's clock at the time, I wouldn't wish her fate on anyone. I was glad to see her come back, and Henin's run reminds me much more of her style.

Hingis could have held her own with either.

Hingis didn't always have her way with the big hitting women like you're suggesting. There were many instances where she just couldn't handle the power off the ground and got her butt kicked. Part of Hingis' problem was that she could get very frazzled when this started to happen and everything would just start to fall apart and she would wind up trying some impossible shots instead of using her head.

That said, I always loved to watch her play because she was such a clever, talented player and she reminded me in some ways of my favorite player Chris Evert. I do think that Henin is overall the better player, even though Hingis spent more weeks at #1.

 

[Rten10]

Henin by far is the better player. Hingis' game can't stand up to today's power hitters. She did well when the game wasn't all about strength...but during her little comeback she obviously struggled. Henin is much stronger, much faster, and a much better player than Hingis ever was. I found Hingis very boring to watch...she kept the ball in play...and that's about it.

 

[anointedone]

Hingis didn't always have her way with the big hitting women like you're suggesting. There were many instances where she just couldn't handle the power off the ground and got her butt kicked. Part of Hingis' problem was that she could get very frazzled when this started to happen and everything would just start to fall apart and she would wind up trying some impossible shots instead of using her head.

That said, I always loved to watch her play because she was such a clever, talented player and she reminded me in some ways of my favorite player Chris Evert. I do think that Henin is overall the better player, even though Hingis spent more weeks at #1.

I agree with alot of what you said. Too bad Hingis didnt have even 60% of Evert's mental strength though, a tough standard to compare to of course as Evert is probably the mentally toughest player in history. If she had even that much she would never have lost some huge matches she never should have lost such as the 99 French Open final vs Graf and 2002 Australian Open final vs Capriati, maybe even the 2000 U.S Open semifinal vs Venus (that lame overhead attempt on that famous point was a bigtime choke IMO). These are some huge matches she was in the dominant winning position and fell apart more or less. Despite the problems she had being overthrown by the huge hitters she still should have won atleast 7 slams but for some bad mental collapses in a couple of them.

Then again Henin was not a stalwart in the mental toughness department either and it is probably the single most overrated thing about her as a player. She really could have won more slams and been even more dominant, particularly since had the benefit of atleast 4 years of the Williams no longer at their peak, if she had a stronger mental game. She did work alot harder than Hingis off the court to develop the power and strength in her game to keep up with huge hitters like Davenport and Williams which belied her very slight frame, but perhaps also at a price as her lingering viral infection and early retirement both indicate (that lame overhead attempt was a bigtime choke regardless the reasons that have come up IMO).

 

[halalula1234]

Henin by far is the better player. Hingis' game can't stand up to today's power hitters. She did well when the game wasn't all about strength...but during her little comeback she obviously struggled. Henin is much stronger, much faster, and a much better player than Hingis ever was. I found Hingis very boring to watch...she kept the ball in play...and that's about it.

shes smaller and lighter than hingis as well only by a little bit

 

[Winners or Errors]

Hingis didn't always have her way with the big hitting women like you're suggesting. There were many instances where she just couldn't handle the power off the ground and got her butt kicked. Part of Hingis' problem was that she could get very frazzled when this started to happen and everything would just start to fall apart and she would wind up trying some impossible shots instead of using her head.

That said, I always loved to watch her play because she was such a clever, talented player and she reminded me in some ways of my favorite player Chris Evert. I do think that Henin is overall the better player, even though Hingis spent more weeks at #1.

Agreed, nothing is 100%. Certainly, on her day, and there were many, Hingis did succeed in properly game-planning her match and frustrating power hitters. If another top player, male or female, comes along who has more brains than brawn, it will make tennis much more interesting. It will especially be more interesting because the vast majority of those watching the sport believe it cannot happen. IMO, brawn is boring to watch.

 

[freelancer]

power? Henin
placements? Hingis
consistency? Hingis
forehand? Henin
backhand? Henin
over all fh/bh? Henin
speed? Close but I'm gonna say Henin
footwork? Depends. Probably Henin overall
Volley? Hingis
Serve? Henin
Mental toughness? Henin, but barely
Style of play? Henin for winning, Hingis for watching
Whos more fun to watch? Hingis

I think it's a good comparison. They're pretty similar in a lot of ways (not really style wise), but I love them both and it's hard for me to pick a favorite. Overall, I think Henin is a better player, but I enjoy watching Hingis play more.

 

[CEvertFan]

I agree with alot of what you said. Too bad Hingis didnt have even 60% of Evert's mental strength though, a tough standard to compare to of course as Evert is probably the mentally toughest player in history. If she had even that much she would never have lost some huge matches she never should have lost such as the 99 French Open final vs Graf and 2002 Australian Open final vs Capriati, maybe even the 2000 U.S Open semifinal vs Venus (that lame overhead attempt on that famous point was a bigtime choke IMO). These are some huge matches she was in the dominant winning position and fell apart more or less. Despite the problems she had being overthrown by the huge hitters she still should have won atleast 7 slams but for some bad mental collapses in a couple of them.

Then again Henin was not a stalwart in the mental toughness department either and it is probably the single most overrated thing about her as a player. She really could have won more slams and been even more dominant, particularly since had the benefit of atleast 4 years of the Williams no longer at their peak, if she had a stronger mental game. She did work alot harder than Hingis off the court to develop the power and strength in her game to keep up with huge hitters like Davenport and Williams which belied her very slight frame, but perhaps also at a price as her lingering viral infection and early retirement both indicate (that lame overhead attempt was a bigtime choke regardless the reasons that have come up IMO).

Well I said she reminded me in some ways of Evert but mental toughness obviously wasn't one of them. She reminded me of Chris because she had great court sense and a fine tennis brain and was probably the last top player who used actual strategy on the court rather than just implementing a 'hitting the ball as hard as possible and hoping it goes in' style like the current women do all the time, which I find quite boring at times. IMO that type of style is one of the main things that has really hurt tennis as a whole but women's tennis in particular of late.

And I agree with you wholeheartedly about the 1999 FO against Graf and the 2002 AO final against Capriati. She was in total control of both matches and completely let both slip away because of mental collapses which is something Evert never would have done. I do however think that the extreme heat during the AO final (temperatures on court were about 120 degrees F) was a factor as they hadn't yet implemented the 'close the roof if it's dangerously hot' rule like they do now and since Capriati was physically stronger and was from Florida which has quite a hot climate as well, she was better able to handle the heat but those are the times where mental toughness is of vital importance.

 

[grafrules]

It is funny to think of comparing them. They are similar in some ways, and so not similar in some ways. One of my friends who doesnt know much about tennis likes to call Henin an "overpowered Hingis".

 

[CEvertFan]

It is funny to think of comparing them. They are similar in some ways, and so not similar in some ways. One of my friends who doesnt know much about tennis likes to call Henin an "overpowered Hingis".

I don't think they were all that similar actually. At her best Hingis was a clever all court player and Henin was much more of a big hitting baseliner than anything else. One of the few things they had in common was that their backhands were their best shot.

 

[matchmaker]

I don't think they were all that similar actually. At her best Hingis was a clever all court player and Henin was much more of a big hitting baseliner than anything else. One of the few things they had in common was that their backhands were their best shot.

Well, I do find that they have certain things in common. They were both smallish and had an outstanding technique. With the difference that Henin learned to master how to use power in her shots.

 

[halalula1234]

Well, I do find that they have certain things in common. They were both smallish and had an outstanding technique. With the difference that Henin learned to master how to use power in her shots.

oh i agree and to Cevertfan. Henin's backhand isnt her best shot she always prefer her forehands and often runs as around it and its her better side. But her backahdn is way better than most players in wta now so she is best know for the shot.

 

[boredone3456]

I would Pick Henin. She to me was a much more consistant player than Hingis ever was. Hingis played well At the austrailian open, but put her somewhere else and she was more than beatable.

Hingis was a huge mental Gagger who could have won several more slams and should have won the Calender slam in 97, but I can't even begin to describe what happened at the french that year to her, as only she really knows. Hingis had all the core tools to be a great champion, drive, a great ability to read her opponent, when she was focused she could take anyone off their game and get in their heads and she could make most any shot at these times as well.

Hingis however was, in my opinion, a bit full of herself, and that was part of her downfall, she had a huge ego and whenever in a match she got outplayed on a few points or had an opponent that was really dialed in, she would falter and loose it. Honestly, i was never a fan of the younger Hingis, even though she was a great player her tendency to run her mouth all the time, and after a while...the confidence turned to arrogance and it got annoying.

Henin to me had an amazing all around game, but yes her mental toughness was her weakness. However, she did win 7 majors and make more major finals than Hingis did, and Even with her mental gaps if she had stayed she would have easily been a double digit slam winner and Might well have equalled if not surpassed Hingis's total weeks at number one. I really however cannot say hingis would have won many more majors had she not left the game when she did the first time.

In terms of them facing in their primes, I think Henin would have been able to win most of their matches because in terms of mental toughness, though neither was a prize...Henin was better, and if she could get into hingis's head, Hingis would have choked, and , most times when henin got the edge against an opponent in a rivaly, she did pretty well at keeping it in her favor. I say Henin over Hingis

 

[CEvertFan]

oh i agree and to Cevertfan. Henin's backhand isnt her best shot she always prefer her forehands and often runs as around it and its her better side. But her backahdn is way better than most players in wta now so she is best know for the shot.

Henin's backhand is considered to be one of the very best backhands ever in the women's game. Just because she sometimes ran around it to hit a forehand doesn't make it any less great than it always was.

 

[boredone3456]

Henin's backhand is considered to be one of the very best backhands ever in the women's game. Just because she sometimes ran around it to hit a forehand doesn't make it any less great than it always was.

Exactly...People feared Henin's backhand and more often then not would try and target her forehand. Henin's crosscourt backhand shot was a sight to see. Most often when she ran around her backhand, she did it because her down the line backhand wasn't always that amazing a shot if the wind was not in her favor and she would overhit it causing it to go out. But give her an open court....and she would annihilate you with that backhand. It is truly one of the best backhands in the games history. Henin's forehand however was a different story...it was very prone to breaking down.

 

[halalula1234]

Henin's backhand is considered to be one of the very best backhands ever in the women's game. Just because she sometimes ran around it to hit a forehand doesn't make it any less great than it always was.

Exactly...People feared Henin's backhand and more often then not would try and target her forehand. Henin's crosscourt backhand shot was a sight to see. Most often when she ran around her backhand, she did it because her down the line backhand wasn't always that amazing a shot if the wind was not in her favor and she would overhit it causing it to go out. But give her an open court....and she would annihilate you with that backhand. It is truly one of the best backhands in the games history. Henin's forehand however was a different story...it was very prone to breaking down.

I dont think so. Her bh breaks down and makes more errors than her fh. Henin's single-handed backhand, which was by this time rare in both men's and women's tennis, was one of the most powerful and accurate in the game (Henin frequently recorded higher speeds off her single-handed backhand than many of leading players' double-handed backhand speeds[citation needed]). Henin could hit both 'flat', topspin and slice variation off this wing and could strike winners from any part of the court. Her backhand could also be disguised, surprising her opponents with dropshots. Her slice backhand was one of the best in the world. However, Henin's forehand was generally regarded as her most dangerous weapon, and the stroke that she normally used to dictate the play of a match. (WIKIPEDIA.COM)

 

[lambielspins]

Henin was great off both wings. Her forehand was a devastating weapon as well. Very explosive, accurate, placed, and agressive.

 

[gocard]

^^ agree, but I do think that Henin's forehand is her greater weapon during rallies, while her backhand can be a thing of beauty because of the variety of the flat, topspin and slice. I love the explosive cross-court backhands though! I want her to come back to the tour!!

 

[bluetrain4]

In terms of mental toughness I always thought Henin was a dual personality. A lot of people say her mental toughness was just average. But, it wasn't "average" on a consistent basis. It was either up or down. At times, like during her US Open run when she beat Capriati and then came back and beat Clijsters (though those two players weren't the toughest either), and during most of her French Open wins, she seemed incredibly mentally tough, feisty, never-say-die. Other times, she was a total trainwreck.

 

[CEvertFan]

I dont think so. Her bh breaks down and makes more errors than her fh. Henin's single-handed backhand, which was by this time rare in both men's and women's tennis, was one of the most powerful and accurate in the game (Henin frequently recorded higher speeds off her single-handed backhand than many of leading players' double-handed backhand speeds[citation needed]). Henin could hit both 'flat', topspin and slice variation off this wing and could strike winners from any part of the court. Her backhand could also be disguised, surprising her opponents with dropshots. Her slice backhand was one of the best in the world. However, Henin's forehand was generally regarded as her most dangerous weapon, and the stroke that she normally used to dictate the play of a match. (WIKIPEDIA.COM)

That quote is only true for the last couple of years that she was on the tour. Before that her backhand was by far the better side and it was her forehand that was inconsistent but she worked on it and developed it into a weapon so she wouldn't have to rely so much on the backhand and she also found that she liked being able to attack with the forehand which is why she started to run around the backhand. It still doesn't make her backhand any less great than it always was. John McEnroe always waxed eloquent over Henin's backhand whenever he was commentating one of her matches and called it a thing of beauty and one of the best he had ever seen.

 

[anointedone]

In terms of mental toughness I always thought Henin was a dual personality. A lot of people say her mental toughness was just average. But, it wasn't "average" on a consistent basis. It was either up or down. At times, like during her US Open run when she beat Capriati and then came back and beat Clijsters (though those two players weren't the toughest either), and during most of her French Open wins, she seemed incredibly mentally tough, feisty, never-say-die. Other times, she was a total trainwreck.

I agree with this. Henin was a complete dual personality in terms of mental toughness, which I think is where alot of the dispute about where she rates in that area comes from. That being said it does not take alot to be mentally tough vs Clijsters who is one of the mentally weakest top players ever, and developed major Justine-phobia starting spring of 2003. Henin also didnt show much mental toughness in the 2004 Australian Open final vs Clijsters where she choked away 2nd and 3rd set leads before using some choking from Clijsters and some of her infamous trickery (the famous finger on the baseline) to pull it out.

 

[Wuornos]

I'd give the edge to Hingis.

Yes Justine had a superior record in majors winning 7 and losing in 4 finals, 5 semi finals and 2 quarter finals compared with Martina Hingis only winning 5, losing in 7 finals, 7 semi finals and 5 quarter finals, but I believe the quality of womens tennis during Justine's reign at the top was porer than when Martina was at her best.

Overall I would rate a peak Martina as probably about a 1/3rd of a round better on average in major events had they been facing the same quality of opposition.

Overall I would rate Justine Henin as the 16th best female singles player since WWII while I regard Martina Hingis as 10th.

Tim

 

[cokebottle]

The quality during Hingis's reign was not better. That is baloney. When Hingis reigned was from 1997-early or mid 1998. That is when she won 4 of her 5 majors, and that is the only time she was the true #1. Her competition was Majoli, an old Novotna, Coetzer, an up and down Pierce, an up and down Spirlea, an out of shape Seles, and a pre-champion Davenport, a washed up Sanchez, and a washed up Martinez. That is not tough competition at all. Once Davenport and Venus began to be big forces in the middle of 1998 Hingis only won 1 more major, and it was only avoiding playing any of Davenport, Venus, or Serena.

Henin reigned and won all her majors during the time of the William sisters, Davenport, Sharapova, Mauresmo, Clijsters, and Capriati. Who cares if you say the Williams are past their peak or not, they are still obviously winning slams today, and Henin stopped them cold in their tracks from winning more in 2007 something no other women are able to do. The Williams today are alot better than Davenpork or Seles of 1997 were. Those others I mentioned were all big forces during atleast some of the period she won 7 slams and are a hell of alot better than Coetzer, Majoli, Novotna, and the pre-slam Davenport as your main competition.

Henin won more vs much better competition. She is way better than Hingis. Hingis would have never dominated the French Open like Henin did in any era, heck she couldnt even beat Majoli, Pierce, or Capriati to win it once. Hingis would never win a U.S Open by beating both Williams back to back in a year they were both going for their 2nd major of the year like Henin did. Hingis would never have won epic vs a big hitter like the U.S Open semis vs Capriati in 2003. Hingis would never have a 7 or 8 match win streak vs Davenport like Henin did. No contest and I dont even like Henin.

 

[cokebottle]

Hingis may have faced a better field than Henin while Henin was winning if we look at mid 1998-early 2002 but then again Hingis wasnt winning squat all during that time except for one lucky draw at the 99 Aussie Open where she avoided all the big guns somehow. Yeah close a few times, close doesnt cut it. It is just like people dont look at Henin's competition from 2001-2002 to determine how hard it was since she wasnt winning anything big during those years even though she was contending.

 

[Wuornos]

The quality during Hingis's reign was not better. That is baloney. When Hingis reigned was from 1997-early or mid 1998. That is when she won 4 of her 5 majors, and that is the only time she was the true #1. Her competition was Majoli, an old Novotna, Coetzer, an up and down Pierce, an up and down Spirlea, an out of shape Seles, and a pre-champion Davenport, a washed up Sanchez, and a washed up Martinez. That is not tough competition at all. Once Davenport and Venus began to be big forces in the middle of 1998 Hingis only won 1 more major, and it was only avoiding playing any of Davenport, Venus, or Serena.

Henin reigned and won all her majors during the time of the William sisters, Davenport, Sharapova, Mauresmo, Clijsters, and Capriati. Who cares if you say the Williams are past their peak or not, they are still obviously winning slams today, and Henin stopped them cold in their tracks from winning more in 2007 something no other women are able to do. The Williams today are alot better than Davenpork or Seles of 1997 were. Those others I mentioned were all big forces during atleast some of the period she won 7 slams and are a hell of alot better than Coetzer, Majoli, Novotna, and the pre-slam Davenport as your main competition.

Henin won more vs much better competition. She is way better than Hingis. Hingis would have never dominated the French Open like Henin did in any era, heck she couldnt even beat Majoli, Pierce, or Capriati to win it once. Hingis would never win a U.S Open by beating both Williams back to back in a year they were both going for their 2nd major of the year like Henin did. Hingis would never have won epic vs a big hitter like the U.S Open semis vs Capriati in 2003. Hingis would never have a 7 or 8 match win streak vs Davenport like Henin did. No contest and I dont even like Henin.

Yes I agree with much of what you say regarding Hingis although the period when she was failing to win against players like Venus was when she was probably playing her best rather than the period prior to this when she was winning events.

 

[Wuornos]

The quality during Hingis's reign was not better. That is baloney. When Hingis reigned was from 1997-early or mid 1998. That is when she won 4 of her 5 majors, and that is the only time she was the true #1. Her competition was Majoli, an old Novotna, Coetzer, an up and down Pierce, an up and down Spirlea, an out of shape Seles, and a pre-champion Davenport, a washed up Sanchez, and a washed up Martinez. That is not tough competition at all. Once Davenport and Venus began to be big forces in the middle of 1998 Hingis only won 1 more major, and it was only avoiding playing any of Davenport, Venus, or Serena.

Henin reigned and won all her majors during the time of the William sisters, Davenport, Sharapova, Mauresmo, Clijsters, and Capriati. Who cares if you say the Williams are past their peak or not, they are still obviously winning slams today, and Henin stopped them cold in their tracks from winning more in 2007 something no other women are able to do. The Williams today are alot better than Davenpork or Seles of 1997 were. Those others I mentioned were all big forces during atleast some of the period she won 7 slams and are a hell of alot better than Coetzer, Majoli, Novotna, and the pre-slam Davenport as your main competition.

Henin won more vs much better competition. She is way better than Hingis. Hingis would have never dominated the French Open like Henin did in any era, heck she couldnt even beat Majoli, Pierce, or Capriati to win it once. Hingis would never win a U.S Open by beating both Williams back to back in a year they were both going for their 2nd major of the year like Henin did. Hingis would never have won epic vs a big hitter like the U.S Open semis vs Capriati in 2003. Hingis would never have a 7 or 8 match win streak vs Davenport like Henin did. No contest and I dont even like Henin.

Yes I agree with much of what you say regarding Hingis although the period when she was failing to win against players like Venus was when she was probably playing her best rather than the period prior to this when she was winning events.

 

[sUnTaO]

for me, i think Hingis is the best . i like her game.

 

[Bretto]

Hingis was a more useful tool for women's tennis. Henin, regardless of her super backhand, was too dull for the largest part of her career.

 

[Wuornos]

Not much in it but despite the lower major count Hingis just endges this with a peak PR of 2727 achieved after the French Open of 1999 compared with Henin's peak PR of 2695 following the US Open of 2007.

Explanation of 'performance ratings' can be found at http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=190959.

Tim

 

[Tennis Dunce]

I think if they played 100 times Hingis would win 51...
Let's just say I'd pay to see it.

 

[scotus]

Henin also didnt show much mental toughness in the 2004 Australian Open final vs Clijsters where she choked away 2nd and 3rd set leads before using some choking from Clijsters and some of her infamous trickery (the famous finger on the baseline) to pull it out.

I am not aware of this incident.

What did Justine exactly do?