After more than a year of a rousing doubles comeback, Martina Hingis will take her talents to the singles court. The Swiss Fed Cup team announced at Friday’s draw that Hingis would be facing Agnieszka Radwanska in Saturday’s first rubber of the tie between Switzerland and Poland.
Hingis last took to the singles court in 2007, a season that saw her reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and the third round of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Her last match was a round of 16 loss to China’s Shuai Peng in Beijing in September of that year.
“The comfort zone is there for me to play doubles,” Hingis said. “Obviously, I’ve played very well in the last five weeks winning three titles, the confidence is there but singles is a different ball game."
She added: "But Heinz [Guenthardt] has the trust in me so I was like ‘okay, let’s go for it, let’s try’ and hopefully I can make at least a game of it and earn a point for Switzerland.”
Far from a longshot, Guenthardt believes Hingis is the best option to help the Swiss team get back into the World Group.
“If we didn’t think she could pull it off – or if she didn’t think that herself – I don’t think Martina would walk out there,” said Guenthardt. “At the end of the day, it is the best option.”