Hingis relishing Olympic Games after 20-year absence

Saturday, 6 August 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Reuters: Martina Hingis said on Thursday (4) she was looking forward to competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics which will be her first Games since 1996.

At Atlanta 1996, Hingis lost in the second round of the singles and the quarter-finals in the doubles.

This year, Hingis will team up with Timea Bacsinszky in the women’s doubles and they play Australia’s Daria Fravrilova and Sam Stosur on Saturday (6).

“I feel like a junior again because I haven’t been in 20 years but obviously it was an amazing experience in Atlanta when I was only 15, well almost turning 16, and now at 35 it’s been 20 years so a lot of the things have changed already in the half day I was able to be here but, yes I think, no for me it’s hard to say anything since I’ve only been like half a day here but it was the priority for me since I came back to play Fed Cup two years ago and that was one thing that I wanted to compete again was the Olympic Games and here I am with Timea today and all I can say for myself is I’ll try my best,” Hingis told reporters.

“I’m definitely in a different position, you know battling it out in singles and doubles like Timea is; like I am in my comfort zone like in my career having achieved what I’ve achieved, so no definitely it’s not as stressful as taking it on the easier shoulder but not when on court. That’s like still the competition, trying to do the max I can to be as prepared as I can but it’s definitely an experience, which counts in my case now.”

In Grand Slams, Hingis has won five singles titles, 11 doubles and five mixed double crowns but she would love to add an Olympic medal to that collection.

Hingis won’t play in the mixed doubles after world number three Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka, ranked fourth in the world, both pulled out due to injury.

Hingis admitted she and Federer were both disappointed that they couldn’t play together in Rio.