The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Davenport bounces back

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 16, 2005

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Sport - Tennis

Davenport bounces back

INDIAN WELLS (USA), MARCH 15. Overcoming gusty winds that sent sand swirling around the court on Monday, Lindsay Davenport beat Meghann Shaughnessy in the Pacific Life Open. No. 1 Davenport bounced back after losing the second set and came away with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 victory to move into the quarterfinals.

When the wind died down a bit later in the afternoon, it was Andy Roddick who breezed. He needed only 45 minutes for a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic. Asked if he had ever won a match in 45 minutes, Roddick replied, "Yes." When? "I think I was 10," he said, smiling.

Roddick turned the power down on his serve, with his fastest at 130 mph (209 kph) — compared to his record of 155 mph (249 kph) — and still obviously dominated Novak by hitting 21 winners to the Czech's four.

"It was easier than I expected," Roddick said. "I don't think you ever expect to win a match out here in a Masters Series event 1-2. I don't think he ever found his rhythm out there."

Andre Agassi also rolled into the fourth round, beating Romania's Andrei Pavel 6-3, 6-4. Agassi, who turns 35 next month, was the 2001 Indian Wells champion and a finalist in 1990 and 1995.

Sharapova beats Safina

Maria Sharapova was a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Dinara Safina in a match of Russian teenagers. Wimbledon champion Sharapova, 17, is ranked No. 3. Safina, 18, is No. 37.

Davenport obviously didn't like the conditions, with gusts of 30-40 mph (48-64 kph) that kicked sand into the air and left a thin layer of grit on the court. "It's no fun to play like that," she said. "It makes for pretty awful tennis. Fans obviously don't enjoy sitting out there, trying to watch in that wind. It took out any strategy. You were just hoping the ball went in."

Davenport said that serving in the wind is a matter of, "Just pray that the first one goes in so you don't have to hit a second serve, because it's so hard to control those." Davenport got 45 of her 76 first serves in and won 29 points on those. She had six double-faults.

Britain's Tim Henman, beaten by Roger Federer in straight sets in the men's title match last year, moved into the fourth round with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Austrian Jurgen Melzer. Henman played early in the day, when the wind was gusting.

He said that because the players have come to expect good weather for the desert tournament, it takes some adjusting to play when the wind comes up. "You have to prepare yourself mentally, say, `this is not going to be easy. We're going to miss hit shots. You're going to miss shots you normally would make. You're going to serve double-faults'," Henman said.

The results: Men: third round: Andy Roddick bt Jiri Novak 6-1, 6-2; Tim Henman bt Jurgen Melzer 7-5, 6-4; Andre Agassi bt Andrei Pavel 6-3, 6-4; Nicolas Kiefer bt Gaston Gaudio 6-3, 6-1; David Nalbandian bt Jonas Bjorkman 6-1, 3-6, 6-1; Tommy Robredo bt Thomas Enqvist 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4); Fernando Gonzalez bt James Blake 6-4, 0-6, 6-3; Guillermo Coria bt Paradorn Srichaphan 6-4, 6-2.

Women: third round: Lindsay Davenport bt Meghann Shaughnessy 6-2, 2-6, 6-2; Maria Sharapova bt Dinara Safina 6-2, 6-3; Nadia Petrova bt Lisa Raymond 6-7 (7), 6-3, 6-3; Fabiola Zuluaga bt Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 6-2; Viktoriya Kutuzova bt Amy Frazier 6-3, 6-3; Mary Pierce bt Nicole Vaidisova 6-4, 6-4; Jessica Kirkland bt Jill Craybas 6-3, 6-3; Nathalie Dechy bt Samantha Stosur 6-4, 6-7 (9), 7-6 (4). — AP

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