MELBOURNE, Australia -- This is going to be a great final between Martina Hingis (1) and Jennifer Capriati (12). It's a great story for Capriati to be in her first Grand Slam final after being on the tour for 11 years. She's playing her best tennis ever, and watching her here, she appears more focused and intense than she's ever been.

	Mary Joe's Picks
	Fernandez Former WTA Tour pro Mary Joe Fernandez is providing ESPN.com with in-depth analysis during the Australian Open. Fernandez, a tennis analyst for ESPN, won the 1985 U.S. Open. In doubles, she won the '91 Australian Open, the '92 Olympic gold and the '96 French Open.

Hingis has played the best of anyone in this event. She has lost only one match since the U.S. Open and that was to Lindsay Davenport in Philadelphia. She's extremely confident. She has really worked hard on her fitness. That definitely paid off as she beat the Williams sisters back to back for the first time to reach the final.

Both players have something to prove at this Grand Slam final. Hingis hasn't won a Grand Slam in two years and wants to prove that she deserves her No. 1 ranking by winning here. Capriati wants to prove that she's here to stay, this is no fluke and she is one of the top players in the world.

Capriati will be nervous going into the match, which is normal, but she should settle down. It will work to her advantage that she sometimes practices with Hingis in Florida. Capriati will need to have her serve working and her big forehand needs to be on to give Hingis a rough time.

Capriati is dangerous on the run and generates a lot of winners from that forehand side. Her serve is not a huge weapon. In the past, she's served a lot of double faults, but she appears to have cut that down in the past two matches. If she's consistent with her serve, that puts the pressure on Hingis.

Capriati hits the ball harder, but Hingis hits the ball early and is very court savvy. Hingis is always in the right place at the right time. She takes time away from her opponent by cutting the angles off.

Hingis is very solid and rarely makes mistakes. She has the court measured to a T and hits very deep into the corners. She plays aggressively and has great variety in her game.

A lot of people were expecting Davenport to be the third huge obstacle at this tournament for Hingis. Having Capriati in the final is still a big obstacle because she's playing just as well or better than Davenport.

Capriati is only 24. She started very early, turning pro when she was 14. She's got plenty of years left. She took a break from tennis in 1994-95 when she did not play, and then she just played sporadically in '96-'97. Similar to Monica Seles, who is 27 and also missed out on a few years of tennis, she doesn't feel burned out as if she had been playing on the circuit as long because of those missed years.

Capriati has shown she's committed to this game, but Hingis has remained healthy for a long time and plays more often. Capriati was hurt during part of last year and that slowed her up until the fall.

Hingis has been in 10 Grand Slam finals and won five, so experience is on her side. That experience will win it for Hingis. Also, it's tough when you play your first final. They both want it, but Hingis has really been looking for this win for a while.

Pick: Hingis