Hingis explains her US Open loss

Virginie Razzano, ranked No. 112 in the world, stunned the eighth-seeded Hingis and the rest of Arthur Ashe Stadium when she tossed Hingis out of the U.S. Open in the second round with a 6-2, 6-4 victory.

This time when Hingis grinned, it was in disbelief.

Hingis made her earliest exit at the Open--which she won in 1997, the year Ashe Stadium opened--and it was her earliest exit in a major tournament this year.

"The difference is now that I'm back in the top 10, people have seen me around, and they have nothing to lose anymore compared to when I started the year," Hingis said.

She added of Razzano, "It's not only that she played well, but I didn't play good. I think I let her play well. Then she just opened up, lost the fear and played exceptional."

Razzano, 23, played as if she had no fear from the start, learning from her two losses to Hingis in 2001 and 2002.

"I think she has the same game," Razzano said. But it was clear that was not the case.

Razzano's most recent championship was a junior title at the French Open in 2000. By then Hingis had won all five of her majors.

Hingis originally retired because of sore feet and because of her defeats to the heaviest hitters in the game, namely the Williams sisters.

Hingis could only counterpunch so much; her mental game, she realized, was no longer enough.

But when Hingis decided to return, she improved her quickness and power, and she kept her calculating mind ticking. Hingis used that to her advantage Wednesday in her 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 first-round victory over Peng Shuai.

On Thursday night, Hingis knew from the first plaintive drop shot she attempted (one that did not even reach the net) that her game was not at its best.

"I think after [Wednesday] I didn't have much more to give," Hingis said.

"I was a little flat and tired mentally. Just, I don't know. Just wasn't feeling well. Wasn't my day."

Entering the Open, Hingis had not lost to a player ranked lower than 23rd in the world. She had made the quarterfinals of the Australian and French Opens and then Ai Sugiyama upset her the third round of Wimbledon.

"Maybe Wimbledon was more disappointing because that was the first time I lost to a lower-ranked player," she said. "I hope I'm not getting used to this habit."

Hingis blamed her exit on overtraining. She had made the finals of the tournament in Montreal two weeks ago, only to lose in straight sets to the rising teenager Ina Ivanovic. Chicago Sports