Martina Hingis knows all about the excruciating pain of major miss.
Hingis held a one-set, 4-0 lead and eventually four championship points in the 2002 Australian Open final before Jennifer Capriati roared back beating severe heat and the Swiss Miss 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-2.
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Hall of Famer Hingis can relate to her friend and former mixed doubles partner, Roger Federer, failing to convert two championship points in the Wimbledon final.
Novak Djokovic fought off rival Federer, 7-6 (5), 1-6, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 13-12 (3) to successfully defend his Wimbledon title in The Championships' longest final—and first men’s major final decided in a fifth-set tie breaker.
Hingis believes the fact Federer avenged that loss defeating Djokovic at the Nitto ATP Finals in London last month will aid him in his quest to win a 21st Grand Slam title in 2020.
"It’s been two years [since Federer last won a Slam]," Hingis told Metro UK. "I mean last year, Jesus Christ!
"He must still think about it sometimes, I would. Probably. No, he’s had his revenge kind of now, he still sort of knows he can maybe beat him. Sometimes that mentally helps."
The Swiss Miss, who captured a total of 25 Grand Slam championships in singles, doubles and mixed doubles, believes Federer's all-court attack makes him a favorite at Wimbledon. But she concedes even for Hall of Fame players the game can be "very mean and brutal."
"But I think he’s still one of the favorites, especially at Wimbledon I would say," Hingis said. "He played so well those last three games until 40-15 up on serve. He hit three winners on his serve and the fourth one just didn’t come.
"Novak is just not going to go away, right? Maybe somebody else under pressure would miss that cross-court winner passing shot but he didn’t. So I don’t know. Sometimes it’s just brutal. Tennis as a sport can be very mean and brutal."
Photo credit: Christopher Levy