TENNIS/News round-up: Former world number one Martina Hingis could retire after failing to overcome persistent injury problems her doctor said yesterday.
Hingis' doctor Heinz Buhlmann said the 21-year-old has a range of injuries and may have to retire.
The Swiss star's most serious problem is an injury to her left foot. She is due to undergo tests later this week, and if the prognosis is bad Buhlmann said he would advise the player to retire.
"For the moment, talking about it is pointless, but I can tell you on Saturday," Buhlmann told SportInformation news agency.
"Naturally it's Martina who has to take the decision. But her joints are worn out. In the worst-case scenario, if she continues to play then 10 years from now she risks not being able to do any sporting activity," he added.
Hingis' injury problems have all but ruled her out of the French Open which starts at Roland Garros on May 27th, and according to Buhlmann she could be in doubt for Wimbledon.
"She will be at Wimbledon only if the rehabilitation process goes perfectly," he said. "But personally I think it will be impossible for her to play there."
Hingis, without a Grand Slam title since the 1999 Australian Open, has dropped to seventh in the world rankings and missed Berlin last week with a foot strain.
As well as the foot problem Hingis has additional injuries to her left knee and left hip and is not even currently able to train.
Meanwhile, Tim Henman continues to be unpredictable. Last month he became Britain's most successful clay-court player for a quarter of a century. Yesterday he missed an opportunity to climb to number one in the ATP Champions Race this week by contriving to lose in the second round of a Masters series event in Hamburg - to a qualifier. He is just as likely next week to turn the world on its head. Marvel one minute, limp mystery the next.
Henman had only 36 points to make up on the race leader, the Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson, and all he needed was to equal his Monte Carlo achievement of reaching the semi-finals.
That made it doubly disappointing that he should lose 7-6, 2-6, 6-4 to Adrian Voinea, a player outside the top 50 whom Henman had beaten in both their previous meetings.
This time, however, the skies were like slate, the balls were leaden and the falling mercury made conditions too slow for Henman easily to reach the haven of the net.
He was frequently caged behind the baseline, struggling to escape amid long rallying sequences in which the Romanian was at least his equal.
Ireland's Elsa O'Riain won through to the second round of the ITA Futures Tournament in Hatfield, yesterday beating England's Kelly Simkin 6-2 6-0.
But there was upset for Yvonne Doyle the number seven seed. Maria Pavlidou from Greece, rated over 100 places lower than the Irishwoman on the world rankings came back from one set down to win their tie 5-7 6-3 7-5.
