The Final Top Ten

1999 French Open Final

Steffi Graf def. Martina Hingis

4-6,7-5,6-4

In a somewhat tragic end to a bizarre yet stirring match, No. 1 Martina Hingis sobbed uncontrollably after losing 4-6,
7-5, 6-2 in the final of Roland Garros to German legend Steffi Graf.

After the match, the 29-year-old Graf said she had played on Stade Roland Garros for the final time. "This is definitely
the last time." Graf said. "I am without a doubt extremely grateful to have this memory to look back on."

In a petulant, pouty and disturbing performance, Hingis lost control of the match in the second set, frequently disputed
calls and served underhanded on two match points, inciting the crowd into a near frenzy of boos and whistles. After
Hingis missed a backhand crosscourt to lose the contest, she fled the court in tears, only to return a few minutes later
on the arm of her mother, Melanie Molitor, who needed three minutes to calm her daughter down as the Swiss
18-year-old was wracked with sobs.

"Would you go out there if everybody boos you out, if nobody wants you to win?" asked Hingis. "That doesn't feel great."

After witnessing the debacle, the crowd cheered Hingis as she approached the presentation stand. Hingis was able to
regain control of herself and speaking to the crowd in French, said, "Maybe next year the public will be with me," said
Hingis, who failed again in her attempt to win the only Slam title that eludes her. "Steffi said I might win more titles, but I
wanted to win today so much....I was too excited, I wanted it too much."

Graf said, "I felt bad for her, it's strange, but its not a lot of fun to feel the crowd is against you," Graf said. "It was one of
the craziest matches ever. The only thing to I can tell her is sometimes you don't see it in the moment, but you will
have other chances."

In earning her sixth Roland Garros title and 22nd Grand Slam title, Graf played a fierce and courageous match, never
allowing Hingis to completely pull away.

"I've played all around the world and have never had a crowd like that," said Graf, who became the first player in the
Open era to defeat the three top-ranked players in a Slam. "I feel French. I know when I look back at my career, this will
be the most incredible memory. This is the biggest win I've ever had. I've had a lot of unexpected ones, I have had
struggles. But I came into this tournament without the belief in myself. I wasn't playing or training that well. So this has
been incredible."

Hingis, who made winning the French title her reason for living this year, was remarkably focused in the first set,
pocketing a break in the opening game when Graf missed two backhand slices. But down 1-2, Graf began to find range
on her lethal forehand, whacking a forehand pass down-the-line to even the set at 2-2.

Hingis grew frustrated with herself in the next game after she allowed Graf to set up and crush her patented inside-out
forehand. Hingis then cracked her racket on the ground, eliciting a warning from the umpire. But Hingis swallowed her
anger and spit it out on court, breaking Graf to 3-2 when Graf missed another backhand slice.

The Swiss 18-year-old ran her lead to 5-2 by moving Graf around. She broke Graf with a brilliant defensive slice
forehand that the on-rushing Graf couldn't pick off her toes.

Yet Graf kept clawing at Hingis, breaking back to 3-4 and then holding to 4-4 behind huge forehands and an occasional
topspin backhand. But the five-time grand Slam champion Hingis played a gutsy game to close out the set. On her
fourth set point, Hingis smartly served from the far left hand corner of the court and kicked it to Graf's weaker backhand
side, getting herself into a rally where a confused Graf dumped a forehand into the net.

The battle only grew fiercer in the second set. A somewhat despondent Graf was broken in the opening game when
she couldn't handle a down-the-line backhand blast. Hingis held easily to go ahead 2-0 and seemed firmly in control,
but in the next game, she became unglued when her forehand down-the-line that appeared inside the tape was called
out. Hingis was so infuriated that she crossed the net and went all the way over to Graf's baseline to circle what she
believed to the correct mark, inciting the crowd into a booing frenzy and earning herself an automatic point penalty from
the umpire.

"I was surprised she got so upset," Graf said. "It showed she was tight and wanted it so bad. I've never seen a player
come to the other side. It's a game out there, but I felt for her that it was more than that."

Yet Graf was unable to break Hingis until the sixth game, when the Swiss ran sideline to sideline retrieving three
forehand bullets but came up short on the fourth to even the set at 3-3. Graf blew a huge opportunity up 4-3 and deuce,
when she sunk an easy overhead into the net.

Hingis held and then broke Graf in the next game with a thumping backhand down-the-line to go ahead 5-4. But with
Hingis serving for the match, Graf showed every bit of the grit and courage that has made her perhaps the game's
greatest player. The German hit a crosscourt backhand pass to go ahead 30-15, and then whacked a forehand winner
to earn two break points. Graf would miss a backhand pass on the first one, but after a long rally that tired Hingis, the
Swiss risked a drop shot and failed, giving Graf the break at 5-5.

"The candle burned out at 5-4, 15-love" Hingis said.

Graf added, "When I was down 5-4 and sat down, I thought this is going to be the last changeover for me. When I
walked out, I thought this may the last time, but go for it. Somehow I got back to 5-5, then things fell together, I began to
play well and she was tight."

Graf then rapidly closed out the set, holding at love and then breaking Hingis when her discouraged opponent missed a
forehand sitter.

Graf charged ahead in the third set, holding easily in the first game. Hingis took a five-minute bathroom break to change
her clothes, but came out on the court frowning and never regained her enthusiasm. "When I came back the crowd
was going crazy, chanting 'Steffi, Steffi!' I almost started crying. I said, 'I don't need that now.' Then I said go for your
shots, don't worry about it and make her run. That's what works for me: go for my shots and not worrying about
winning or losing."

Graf broke Hingis at love to go ahead 2-0 when Hingis missed an easy backhand down-the-line and then held to 3-0.
Hingis kept battling and broke back to 2-3, but had lost her quickness and much of her counterpunching ability. Graf
broke Hingis to 5-2 when Hingis couldn't scoop up a short backhand.

"I didn't know what to do," Hingis said. "She didn't miss anymore. She started believing. She's strong."

In the final game, Hingis felt the full venom of the crowd. On the first match point, she stunned Graf by serving
underhanded. Graf barely reached the ball and could only push it over the net and Hingis easily passed her. "It was a
hell of a serve, to do it for the first time then was very good," Graf said. "The crowd felt insulted but I think she did it very
well and shook things up."

Hingis missed an underhanded serve on the second match point and then argued with the umpire, saying the umpire
spoke when she was tossing the ball. The angry crowd rained boos down upon her and Hingis missed an easy
backhand to lose the match.

"I wanted to win it so much," Hingis said. "The crowd and everything was against me. I wanted to show the world, 'I can
do it anyway, without anybody's help, with just me, my mom, and Mario [Molitor's boyfriend.]' They're always there for
me. '[I wanted to show the world] I can fight whatever comes up to me because I am the best.' That's why I was
emotional. I'm 18. I still have the same feelings as everybody else."