Both Women’s Finalists Remain Keenly Focused

Strong arms, fast legs and sharp eyes mean little without the central focus of the mind. Play each point as it comes, each shot as it comes and play them as if each would win a match.

Today, two teenagers, Martina Hingis and Venus Williams, play for the women’s title of the U.S. Open. The competitive spirit and mental focus of Hingis, 16, has been apparent ever since she made the semifinals of the U.S. Open last year. The tennis world has watched her grow into the No. 1 player in the world, winning Wimbledon and the Australian Open this year during her rocket accent to the top. They have watched her win as much with her mind as with her strokes.

Now, in the two-week run of the Open, the competitive spirit and mental focus of Venus Williams, 17, have come raging to the fore. Her six-match run to the final has been marked not only by a strong serve and some remarkable running backhands, but by a steady intensity, a staying of the course.

She’s match tough, even though she’s been a only part-time professional since 1994. This is her 10th tournament of the year, the 19th of her career. In her three previous seasons she played a total of 19 matches.

“A lot of people believe you have to be match tough,” Williams said. “You just have to know how to play and you have to believe that you can do it. I do agree that you have to play a little bit. When I first started playing, I looked back and said, ‘I didn’t know what to do.’ But it hasn’t taken me long to learn.”