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Jennifer Capriati retained her Australian Open title in amazing fashion as Martina Hingis blew four championship points in a thrilling final.
Gutsy Capriati, the top seed, saved four match points in the second set before running out a 4-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-2 winner.
It looked as if Hingis was going to run away with her first Grand Slam title in three years early in the clash.
With errors flowing from the Capriati racket, the Swiss raced into a 5-1 lead in the first set and although she twice failed to serve it out, she broke Capriati once more to take it 6-4 in 33 minutes.
In stifling heat, Hingis continued where she left off in the second set, moving 4-0 up and was within touching distance of a four Aussie title.
Again the pattern of the first set was repeated, Capriati pulled the double break back before dropping her own serve and at 5-3, Hingis was serving for the championship.
From 0-30 she brought up match point at 40-30 only for a cracking backhand winner from the American to save it.
Capriati faced two further match points in the 11th game, saving the first with a forceful forehand and the second with a volley with forced a Hingis error.
And so the set went into a tie-break.
It proved to be a thriller.
With both players diving for the shade at every opportunity, Capriati had set point at 6-5 but a Hingis backhand found the line.
A serve-volley point from the Swiss brought up a fourth championship point for Hingis but a long backhand saw it rapidly disappear.
Capriati's nerve held to bring her a second set point and she levelled the match, taking the breaker 9-7, when Hingis sent another backhand wide.
Mentally crushed, Hingis looked dejected and there looked only one winner now as a ten-minute heat delay was called as temperatures hit 40 degrees C on the Rod Laver Arena.
Hingis actually broke for a 2-1 lead at the start of the decider but still cut a sorry figure and Capriati immediately retrieved it.
From that point it was all Capriati.
Hingis, wilting in the heat and in the mind, was now producing the unforced errors and soon she was serving at 2-5 to stay in the match.
She was not up to the task, however, and on Capriati's first championship point the top seed cracked a fabulous forehand return winner to seal an amazing victory.
A tearful Hingis said she was "overwhelmed with feelings" at the end and added: "Jennifer was just too good today."
The third seed, who has only just returned following ankle surgery, told the crowd: "I exceeded expectations last week (in Sydney) and during this tournament so I don't know whether to cry or be happy about it."
Joyous Capriati said: "I don't know how I won, I really don't. I kept fighting
and when I was match points down I just went for it.
"The heat was really incredible out there. It was really hot and winning the
second set was the key.
"I knew she was really going to come out at me and I had nothing to lose."
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