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14th Aug 2016

Watch Martina Hingis smash a ball straight into opponent’s face during Olympic tennis

Brutal

Simon Lloyd

Martina Hingis, remember her?

Back in 1997, she won a Wimbledon title at an age when most of us are learning to drive.

Now 35, Hingis has been in action in Rio this week, 20 years after last competing in an Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Alongside compatriot Timea Bacinszky, the Swiss has reached the final of the women’s doubles after beating Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic in dramatic circumstances in Friday’s semi-final.

Eventually winning  5-7, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, the Swiss pair were two points from defeat in the second set. Trailing by a set and 5-4 down in the second, the game turned dramatically when Hingis accidentally pelted the ball into the eye of Hlavackova.

As you can see in the footage below, Hlavackova remained down on the court for a few seconds before receiving treatment.  Although she eventually played on, the momentum swung in favour of Hingis and her partner after this point.

https://twitter.com/birdy87/status/764270919615471616

The Swiss pair will now face Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina for the gold medal.