Davenport, Hingis final is canceled

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - A second day of unlikely rain in the desert

resort town of Scottsdale forced cancellation of the final of the State

Farm Women’s Tennis Classic, which was to feature a showdown of the

world’s top two players.

Sunday’s final between world No. 1 Martina Hingis and second-ranked

Australian Open champion Lindsay Davenport of Newport Beach had to be

postponed by the surprising weather.

But showers and isolated thunderstorms which continued to fall on Monday

forced tournament officials to declare the finale a washout. The doubles

final also was canceled.

“To have the number one and two player in the world is a dream final,”

tournament director Peter Tatum said. “Obviously the weather is something

you can’t control.”

Hingis and Davenport will share the finalists’ prize money, taking

$43,500 each, and will split the winner’s ranking points.

“It’s disappointing because I came through such a tough draw and I was

playing well,” said Davenport, who had defeated Jennifer Capriati, Monica

Seles and Anna Kournikova to set up her final with Hingis.

“It’s tough not to have the opportunity to win another title.”

Davenport had won the last four meetings with her Swiss rival, including

ending Hingis’s three-year reign as Australian Open champion with a

straight-sets win over the top seed in the final in Melbourne.

“That we don’t finish a tournament never happened to me before,” said

Hingis.

“You want to win or lose, but there will be another chance, maybe at

Indian Wells next week.”