Scared Hingis to stay steroid-free

Hingis says her strength is her speed

Martina Hingis says she will never take steroids to beef herself up so she can compete with the natural power of the Williams sisters.

The Swiss teenager may be the world number one but she has been forced to take a backseat as Venus and Serena take the women's game by storm.

Yet the three-times Australian Open champion, who has also won at Wimbledon and the US Open, says she is happy with her progress and would rather work on her speed than build up her muscles.

"I don't want to die when I'm going to be 30," she said. "You've see things written about people who die early because of heart problems and such.

Scared

"I'm scared of that stuff so I don't. My life is too nice right now. If I start taking something to bulk myself up, it's not worth it for me.

"Speed and quickness is all of my game anyway. If I get bigger, I just get slower and that's not my game. I realise that.

"I just have to work on my speed, be light and fast on the court, not a big hitter.

I just have to work on my speed, be light and fast on the court, not a big hitter

  Martina Hingis

"I'm never going to compare myself to the Williamses, Lindsay (Davenport) or Mary (Pierce). I'm never going to hit a ball like they do. But I have other good thing in my game, so I have to use those."

Hingis, who made it to the second round of the US Open with a 6-3 6-1 defeat of Russia's Alina Jidkova in 56 minutes, has not won a Grand Slam crown since last year's Australian Open.

In the meantime, Serena Williams has won the US Open, beating Hingis in the final, while older sister Venus has won four titles in succession, starting with her first Slam at Wimbledon.

Catching up

Hingis, who was beaten by Venus in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, admits they are the girls to beat right now but says they still have some catching up to do.

"I think so far I have been better than them," she said. "I haven't been as injured as them.

"It's just the consistency. That's what counts to be number one, not who wins the most tournaments or who hits the fastest serve.

Pierce has pumped herself up

"Everybody expects me to do as in '97, which is unfair. I have five Grand Slams. Venus and Serena each have one. The Williams sisters, they are my age.

"Sometimes people don't understand my game, why I'm up there - fans when they watch me, because I don't hit the ball as hard as Venus. But I have got a pretty good all-around game."

Hingis is the most likely spoiler to a US Open final match-up between the Williams siblings.

Underdog

Asked if she felt like a favourite or underdog here, Hingis replied, "Maybe both."

She added: "I feel like I have a pretty good chance. I'm playing well. Venus, she has won four straight tournaments.

"Maybe she is the one who is more favoured. People used to pick me. So you never know."