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Men's Tennis
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Women's Tennis
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| Wednesday, August 22 |
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| Capriati rebounds; Davenport ousts Mauresmo Associated Press | |||
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Lindsay Davenport combined a strong
service game with a wicked backhand Wednesday night to beat Amelie
Mauresmo, 6-4, 6-4 and advance to the semifinals of the Pilot Pen.
The tournament's top seed, Davenport was nearly flawless from
the service line. She held serve the entire match and had seven
aces to Mauresmo's two. She broke Mauresmo at 3-3 of the first set
and in the third game of the second set. Mauresmo, at times, was
caught flatfooted by Davenport's rifle-fast returns.
"I only got two breaks, but still felt like I was in control of
most of the points out there," Davenport said.
Davenport took last week off to rest her chronic ailing left
wrist. She showed no ill effects Wednesday night, especially on her
powerful backhand.
"I felt really great hitting it and I was trying to take the
balls on the rise and tried to mix it up by going down the line and
cross court," she said.
Both were looking for their fifth title of the year. Davenport
won the estyle.com Classic two weeks ago in Los Angeles. Mauresmo's
last win was in May.
"She doesn't give away many free points. She's just complete in
all parts of the game," Mauresmo said.
The two last met early in 2000 and spent the first few games
getting reacquainted. It didn't take Davenport long to handle
Mauresmo's combination of spins and slices.
"I think I handled it a lot better tonight that I have in the
past," said Davenport, who holds a 4-3 edge in their series.
Davenport plays the winner of Thursday's quarterfinal between
Kim Clijsters and Nathalie Tauziat.
Also Wednesday, Jennifer Capriati overcame a disastrous first
set and a swollen left leg to beat Anke Huber 0-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Capriati lost touch with her booming serves in the first set,
landing only 10 of 22 first serves. She committed 13 double-faults
in the match.
"I can't play my best tennis all the time," she said. "I have
a big serve when I want to and I just don't try to hit puffballs on
my second serve."
Huber's strong return game consistently turned the "puffballs"
into points and the German closed out the first set in 18 minutes.
Capriati, ranked No. 2 in the world, settled down at the start
of the second set, winning eight of the first nine points. She had
five aces in the second set, including the final two points.
During the second set, she accidentally whacked herself in the
lower left leg with her racket. A trainer iced and wrapped the
injury.
Huber, who is retiring at the end of the year, was disappointed
with her performance.
"I had my chances," Huber said. "I just didn't take them."
Huber's pinpoint returns kept Capriati on the move the entire
match, but she was able to break Capriati's serve just once after
the first set.
"She came out blazing in the first set," Capriati said.
Serving for the match, it appeared Capriati's service troubles
resurfaced. Up 15-0, she double-faulted the next two points.
Capriati won the final three points with two forehand winners and
hit a booming second serve that Huber sent long.
"It was a matter of concentrating hard on those important
points," Capriati said.
The Australian and French Open champion, Capriati said she can't
sneak up on anyone anymore.
"I have to expect that all the time," she said.
Capriati has beaten Huber six of the last seven times and will
play Jelena Dokic in the quarterfinals. Dokic advanced with a 6-3,
6-0 victory over Lisa Raymond.
Justine Henin advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 second-round win over
Barbara Schett. Henin will play Venus Williams on Thursday in a
rematch of their Wimbledon final.
Tauziat advanced with a 6-1, 7-6 (3) victory over qualifier
Kveta Hrdlickova.
Tauziat nearly dropped the second set. She battled back from a
1-4 deficit, then was within two points of losing the set before
tasking the match to a tiebreaker.
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ALSO SEE Wednesday's results Williams has sore back, beats Testud at Pilot Pen | |
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