French Open / Women's Final -- Graf Delivers A Spanking -- Tears Of Joy Flow After Her Sixth, Last French Title

PARIS - This was the spanking everyone, seemingly, on the Court Centrale wanted to see administered to petulant world No. 1 Martina Hingis, and there wasn't anyone they'd rather see do the spanking than the grand dame of women's tennis, Steffi Graf.

Eight days shy of her 30th birthday, Graf threw off three years of medical misery and a lot of self-doubt yesterday to fight her way through a fourth crisis-filled match in a row and win her sixth French Open by beating Hingis 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

It will be her last French Open. "Definitely the last time," Graf said. "This memory should be the way it is. It's very special." She said nothing about forsaking other Grand Slams and she definitely will not abandon Wimbledon, her favorite tournament.

There were enough tears when this was over.

Graf wept with joy. One of the most respected as well as one of the greatest players in women's tennis was fully overcome with happiness in winning the 22nd Grand Slam title of her 17-year career.

"This is the biggest win I've ever had. I've had unexpected ones, I have to admit," Graf said. "There have been a few where I didn't play perfectly . . ." She paused. "I had some champagne," she giggled. "I'm trying to find my way through here."

On court earlier, she told the French audience, "This is the most incredible memory I'm ever going to have." There was a quaver in her voice as she told them, "I feel French."

Hingis, meanwhile, wept like a child. She ran to her mother, who was in the players' box behind the baseline, and wrapped her left arm around her neck as tears streamed down her face. Her mother forced her back on the court to accept the runner-up plate. "If my mother wouldn't be there, I wouldn't come back," she said. "She told me, `You have to go out there. You're a great champion.' "

It wasn't brilliant tennis, but it was very good tennis and it was a most incredible match in many ways.

Here was Graf, 29, playing in a major final against the young woman who had seized her No. 1 ranking in 1997.

Here was Graf winning the match primarily on her fitness over a player 11 years younger.

The crowd persistently chanted "Steffi, Steffi, Steffi" or called her name followed by three claps. It booed and whistled at the truculent teen-ager, who postured and pouted over missed shots and controversial calls.

Four games into the first set Hingis slammed her racket down, cracking the frame, and drew a code-violation warning from chair umpire Anne Lasserre of Tampa, Fla.

As the match continued, even though she was in command, Hingis kicked at the dust, threw up her hands, grimaced and, finally, leading 2-0 in the second set, went over the edge.

She stroked just over the baseline on the opening point and the ball was called out. She blew up, challenging the linesman and then went onto Graf's side of the court and pointed to where she thought the ball landed.

It was a code violation for going onto Graf's side and it meant a point penalty and, when Lasserre announced it, the audience cheered loudly.

"Steffi turned around immediately. She knew it was in," Hingis said. "Even the mark was there. I showed the mark."

But Lasserre said there was no mark. "We have to go with the first call," she told Hingis.

Hingis demanded to see tournament referee Gilbert Ysern and WTA Tour official Georgina Clark. When they appeared, the crowd booed Hingis again.

Graf was growing increasingly irritated by the delays. "I was surprised. She was leading a set and 2-love. It was the first point of the game. It showed she was pretty tight and wanted it bad," Graf said.

"I've never seen anybody come around to the other side because everybody knows you're not allowed to do that."

Rules call for a three-step default - warning, point penalty and defeat. Hingis was fortunate not to get the third violation when she threw her racket in the final set.

This is the only Slam that Hingis hasn't won, but she was just three points away at 5-4, 15-love in the second set.

Graf remembers sitting in the changeover chair before that game began, thinking, "OK, this is going to be the last changeover for me. This is the last time I walk on the court. But I thought at least go for it. And I did."

From 15-love in that game, Graf reeled off 23 of the next 26 points to take a 3-0 lead into the third.

By then Graf's steady diet of low slice backhands was causing a strain to Hingis' legs. Her strokes got sloppy for the first time. She didn't reach balls she usually gets.

"I realized she was getting tired," Graf said, "and I was trying to let her run."

On Graf's first match point, Hingis saved it with an underhand serve. Graf praised her for the tactic. But on the second match point, after hitting two shots, Graf stepped around a backhand to hit an inside-out forehand and drilled it deep into the backhand corner. Hingis blooped the ball back beyond the baseline and it was over.