Martina Hingis's stunning return to Grand Slam tennis on Tuesday has impressed two former opponents who tussled with the Swiss former number one on the circuit before she turned her back on the sport.
Hingis, who retired in 2002 with foot and ankle injuries, returned to competition this year and marked her Grand Slam reappearance with a 6-1, 6-2 demolition of 30th seed Vera Zvonareva in the opening round at the Australian Open on Tuesday.
The five-time Grand Slam winner meets Finland's Emma Laine in the second round, with a possible third-round showdown against France's Mary Pierce.
"Everything in the last three games I saw, she looked like she played really well," world number one Lindsay Davenport told reporters on Wednesday when asked about the Hingis match.
"She's always played well in Australia. It's great she's feeling good and playing well."
Davenport added that she had no doubt Hingis, who had begun to struggle against bigger, stronger players before she retired, would find a way to adapt to the power game that is now prevalent in women's tennis.
"She always found a way around it before," Davenport added.
"People have always kind of said that about her [but] more than anything, the girl finds a way to win and finds a way to get her opponent uncomfortable.
"I'm sure she has a way to negate power still."
Davenport said she had deliberately attacked the second serve of the Swiss when they played in the past.
"You had to make her feel bad about her second serve because it was the first shot you would get and a shot you could definitely take advantage of.
"She seemed to, if you could attack that, lose more and more confidence on it."
Defending Australian Open champion Serena Williams, who advanced to the third round with a victory over France's Camille Pin on Wednesday, added she has also been impressed by Hingis.
"I caught a few points here and there [and] I thought she played really well," Williams said.
"I think it's amazing. Everyone can have their dreams and she's dreaming big, and she should go for any dreams and pursue them to the fullest."
