Hingis crashes out in first round

Martina Hingis, the world number one who doesn't believe she deserves that status, saw her Wimbledon challenge ended in round one by unheralded Spaniard Virginia Ruano Pascual.

Ousted for the second time in four years at this stage, the 1997 champion lost 6-4 6-2 to provide the first major shock late on the first afternoon.

And the remarkable fact is that Ruano Pascual was able to play within herself and still win.

Hingis, just as when she lost to Jelena Dokic on opening Monday two years ago, was utterly out of sorts and hardly made a winner.

Missing the most straightforward of put-aways, seemingly having no control over her volleying and looking like Court One was the last place she wanted to be, the 20-year-old was put in the shade by Ruano Pascual.

Going a break down right at the start of the match, Hingis never recovered.

She did break back to four games each, but lost her serve in the next game.

At present, the Hingis serve poses no threat and is threatening to be her undoing.

A point-starter, rather than point-winner, there is a danger it could become as much of a problem to her as Gabriela Sabatini's affected her in the early 1990s.

It was hard to believe that Hingis was a five-time grand slam tournament winner when she slipped 3-0 down in the second set.

She said recently that she believed Jennifer Capriati was the rightful number one, by virtue of her Australian and French Open triumphs - where she beat the 'Swiss Miss' both times.

The growing feeling in the women's game is that Hingis will never win another slam.

Not able to match the power of the Williams sisters, Capriati or Lindsay Davenport, today the hunger seemed to be missing.

She held serve when 5-1 down in the second set and staring defeat in the face, but five minutes later she was walking off court beaten, with Ruano Pascual having held serve to love for the biggest win of her career.

Hingis meanwhile barely shrugged her shoulders.