Martina Hingis (right) and her doubles partner Daniela Hantuchova (left) take a break during their first round match against Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci on Friday. (AFP)
Former world number one Martina Hingis, who had her Grand Slam comeback after six years of retirement cut short on Friday with two doubles defeats, is still not planning a return to the singles ranks.
“Give me a break,” Hingis said. “No, I haven’t given any more thought to it. I have a hard enough time covering half of the court.”
The 32-year-old Swiss winner of five Grand Slam singles titles suffered first-round losses in women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the US Open.
Hingis and Slovakian partner Daniela Hantuchova lost to Italian top-seeded defending champions Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci 6-3, 7-5 in women’s doubles, with Hingis double faulting away the final points.
“The draw didn’t help to play the champion number one seeds,” Hingis said. “They had to play well against us but definitely not an easy challenge the first Grand Slam back in it.
“Definitely we had our chances. We have to take them, too.”
In a later match, Sweden’s Robert Lindstedt and Taiwan’s Chan Yung-Jan beat wildcard entrants Hingis and India’s Mahesh Bhupathi 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) in mixed doubles.
“I wish I was winning. It would help to win some matches for confidence,” Hingis said. “Maybe hardcourt is not the easiest one to come back to, playing eight weeks in a row. My body is screaming, ‘What are you doing to me?’”
Hingis, the 1997 US Open singles champion, helped the Washington Kastles repeat as World TeamTennis champions last month and then joined Hantuchova for WTA tuneup matches ahead of the Open, contributing to her poor ending against the Italians.
“My calf was killing me and I couldn’t get up on my serve,” Hingis said. “Not having played in the Grand Slams in six years didn’t help either. I played a lot and my body is not used to it.”
But Hingis did not feel she was uncompetitive, only perhaps rusty from her long layoff. “Being away for six years doesn’t help,” she said. “I didn’t have any problems with the speed of the game. Errani is number five in the world and I was rallying with her at the net.”
But coming back was not a feel-good endeavor for Hingis. “I always play tennis to win matches and tournaments,” she said. “We’ve been close. Sometimes it would help to win one of those.”
Her next chances will come in WTA events at Tokyo and Beijing in September.
“Let’s take it one at a time right now,” Hingis said. “I will be happy not to have to play for a few days.”