ZIELONA GORA, POLAND — Cramps, soreness and the fatigue which comes with playing no major singles match for eight years scuppered Martina Hingis’s push for a romantic comeback victory in the Fed Cup on Sunday.
Yet the 34-year-old was still all smiles after losing a winning position against Urszula Radwanska as her Swiss team mates ended up hailing her as an “inspiration” in their thrilling 3-2 triumph against Poland in the World Group play-off.
The five-times singles grand slam champion reckoned she had enjoyed the “fantastic” team spirit in her first Fed Cup tie for 17 years and confirmed she would love another crack next year with a team elevated to the World Group for the first time since 2004.