Tennis: Hingis captures Tokyo title

Top seed Martina Hingis partially atoned for her defeat in the Australian Open final by going one better at the Toray Pan Pacific tournament in Tokyo.

The Swiss Miss needed three sets to defeat American Monica Seles in the final.

Hingis, who won this event for the fourth time in six years, defeated Seles 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 6-3 before a crowd of 7,083 at Tokyo's Metropolitan Gymnasium.

"I was bit luckier in the first set and pulled it out in the third set," said Hingis, currently fourth in the world rankings.

"It's a great feeling to win, it was a great match today. Monica is always tough and you have to play your best against her."

Both players held serve in the first set before Seles built up a 5-1 lead in the tie-break. But Hingis fought back to win it 8-6. Third seeded Seles came back in the second set when she broke Hingis to take a 5-4 lead and then served out the second set to win 6-4.

"It was important to win the first set and I lifted my level in the third," said Hingis, who lost to American Jennifer Capriati in the final at Melbourne Park after blowing four match points.

Hingis, who defeated Seles 4-6 6-1 6-4 in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, jumped out to a 3-0 lead before finishing Seles off in a match that lasted one hour and 38 minutes.