The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Davenport ousts Mauresmo

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 26, 2006

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Sport - Tennis

Davenport ousts Mauresmo

NEW HAVEN: No matter the state of her game, Lindsay Davenport always gets the best of Amelie Mauresmo, especially at the Pilot Pen International.

Davenport, the defending champion, knocked off the No. 1-ranked Mauresmo 6-4, 7-5 on Thursday night to advance to the semifinals of the U.S. Open tune-up. Davenport has won their last nine meetings, dropping just one set over that stretch.

And in New Haven, the two have played each other five times since 1999, with Davenport going 5-0, including in last year's final.

``Some players you match up well against, others you don't,'' said Davenport, playing in only her fifth tournament of 2006 because of a back injury. ``I always go into a match with the utmost respect for her and know that I have to play well.''

Both players appeared a little rusty at times although Davenport's service game was solid most of the night and that made the difference against the often-erratic Mauresmo.

Davenport closed out the first set with two straight aces. She had eight in the match and was able to mix up her delivery, hitting clean angles and painting the centre line.

Mauresmo — seeded No. 1 at the U.S. Open, which starts on Monday — was in her first tournament since winning Wimbledon in early July. She often found herself flailing at a Davenport winner or scrambling to win a point on a jaw-dropping shot. Mauresmo struggled with her serve, losing nine straight points on it in the second set.

Sania trailing

Meanwhile, at the Forest Hills Classic in New York, rain stopped play in the match between Sania Mirza and Spaniard Lourdes Dominguez Lino, with the Indian trailing 4-3 in the first set.

The results (all quarterfinals): At New Haven (Pilot Pen International): Men: Robin Soderling bt Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-2; Agustin Calleri bt Nicolas Massu 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; Xavier Malisse bt Juan Ignacio Chela 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; Nikolay Davydenko bt Olivier Rochus 6-4, 6-2. Women: Samantha Stosur bt Marion Bartoli 7-6(2), 6-0; Svetlana Kuznetsova bt Elena Dementieva 6-3, 3-6, 6-2; Justine Henin-Hardenne bt Mara Santangelo 6-2, 6-3; Lindsay Davenport bt Amelie Mauresmo 6-4, 7-5.

At New York: (Forest Hills Classic): Maria Elena Camerin bt Severine Bremond 6-3, 6-4; Anna Smashnova bt Martina Sucha 6-1, 1-6, 6-1; Meghann Shaughnessy bt Elena Vesnina 6-2, 7-5.

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