Hingis Tops Seles Yet Again To Capture Toshiba Classic

Top-ranked Martina Hingis won her ninth title in 10 tournaments this year, beating Monica Seles 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 on Sunday in the final of the Toshiba Classic in Carlsbad, Calif.

Hingis is 54-1 this year, losing only to Iva Majoli in the French Open final. The 16-year-old Swiss star is 5-0 lifetime against Seles, including four victories this season.

“I really felt that I wanted this match,” Hingis said. “Maybe because I’ve always beaten her.”

Seles, ranked third, had a chance to take the first set serving at 5-4, but failed to score a point on her serve. She committed the second of two double faults in the game to give Hingis the break.

“I got a little flustered when a couple of serves went against me,” Seles said.

Hingis jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the tiebreaker and closed it out when Seles hit a forehand long.

Hingis earned $79,000 to run her season total to $2,378,036. She hit 17 winners to 18 for Seles, and committed 18 unforced errors, while Seles made 22.

At 4-4 in the second set, Hingis scored a crucial break in the ninth game as Seles made an unforced error when she netted a forehand.

Chris Woodruff recorded his first ATP tournament victory, at the du Maurier Canadian Open championships in Montreal. The unseeded Woodruff, a native of Knoxville, Tenn., upset sixth-seeded Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil 7-5, 6-4, 6-3.

The 24-year-old Woodruff, the 1993 NCAA champion at Tennessee, had lost in his previous two ATP tournament finals. He was ranked 57th in the world but will move into the top 30 today.

Jimmy Connors beat John McEnroe 7-6 (7-3), 6-0 in the final of The Challenge, an ATP-sanctioned tournament for players over 35, in Colorado Springs, Colo. McEnroe had reached the final only two hours earlier after completing Saturday’s rain-delayed semifinal against Bjorn Borg, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-1).