SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., March 6 (UPI) -- Persistent rain throughout the last two days at the State Farm Tennis Classic forced the cancellation Monday of the highly anticipated final between Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis, the top two players in women's tennis.
It had not rained in the Phoenix area in roughly 100 days before Sunday, when the final was washed out and rescheduled for 12:15 p.m. EST Monday.
But showers and isolated thunderstorms continued to fall in the area forced the cancellation of the doubles final at 2:30 p.m. Tournament officials ultimately abandoned the singles final at 4:45 p.m.
Hingis and Davenport each earned $43,000, which is the prize money for the runner-up, and will split the winner's ranking points.
This is the first WTA Tour event to have its final canceled since the 1997 Direct Line Insurance Championships in Eastbourne, England. Two years ago, the DFS Classic in Birmingham, England was canceled after the completion of the singles quarterfinals.
The rain also forced the postponement of all of Monday's first-round action at the men's Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic, also at this site.
Hingis was looking to snap a four-match losing streak to Davenport, including a straight-sets loss in the Australian Open final in January. The two are scheduled to compete in Indian Wells, Calif., at the Tennis Masters Series, which begins Friday.
