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Injury-plagued Davenport fighting fit at Acura Classic
Carlsbad, California, July 30: Fourth seed Lindsay Davenport, who has had injury troubles recently, appeared pain free while trouncing fellow American Amy Frazier 6-3 6-1 in the second round of the 1 million dollars Acura Classic.
Carlsbad, California, July 30: Fourth seed Lindsay Davenport, who has had injury troubles recently, appeared pain free while trouncing fellow American Amy Frazier 6-3 6-1 in the second round of the 1 million dollars Acura Classic.
Sixth seed Chanda Rubin also progressed with a 7-5 6-0 victory over Slovenia's Tina Pisnik, setting up a third-round match against ninth seed Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia, who toppled Spain's Magui Serna 2-6 6-2 6-3.
Davenport recently received a cortisone injection to treat an inflamed nerve between the third and fourth toes on her left foot.
The injury forced the American to retire from her fourth-round encounter with Spain's Conchita Martinez at the French Open.
It was then so painful during Wimbledon that, after she lost to Venus Williams in the quarter-finals, the three times grand slam champion mentioned retirement. But Davenport said as long as she could play virtually pain free for the next six weeks, she would wait until after the US Open to have surgery.
The fourth seed, who won the title here in 1998, dictated against Frazier, an opponent she has beaten in all nine of their meetings.
''I was happy with the way my foot felt...And I was happy to play pretty well and beat a good player out there,'' Davenport told reporters. ''It was a great feeling but you never know what to expect. I felt I was sharp enough out there.''
Pisnik used a wicked backhand slice and mixed up the pace of her shots early on against Rubin but, after leading 4-1 in the first set, the Slovenian won only one more game in the match.
''I played pretty well,'' said Rubin. ''She's a tricky type of player and you can't rush against her.''
Dokic also had problems against Serna, who moved the Yugoslav about the court. But the 2000 Wimbledon semi-finalist seized control in the third set, crushing first serves and returning big.
''I just couldn't get going early,'' said Dokic. ''I started serving well and I was able to turn it around.''
Third-seeded Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne plays Eleni Daniilidou of Greece later on Tuesday.
Top seed Serena Williams pulled out of the tournament on Monday with a quadraceps injury. Second seed Kim Clijsters of Belgium is scheduled to play her opening match on Wednesday.
Bureau Report
Sixth seed Chanda Rubin also progressed with a 7-5 6-0 victory over Slovenia's Tina Pisnik, setting up a third-round match against ninth seed Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia, who toppled Spain's Magui Serna 2-6 6-2 6-3.
Davenport recently received a cortisone injection to treat an inflamed nerve between the third and fourth toes on her left foot.
The injury forced the American to retire from her fourth-round encounter with Spain's Conchita Martinez at the French Open.
It was then so painful during Wimbledon that, after she lost to Venus Williams in the quarter-finals, the three times grand slam champion mentioned retirement. But Davenport said as long as she could play virtually pain free for the next six weeks, she would wait until after the US Open to have surgery.
The fourth seed, who won the title here in 1998, dictated against Frazier, an opponent she has beaten in all nine of their meetings.
''I was happy with the way my foot felt...And I was happy to play pretty well and beat a good player out there,'' Davenport told reporters. ''It was a great feeling but you never know what to expect. I felt I was sharp enough out there.''
Pisnik used a wicked backhand slice and mixed up the pace of her shots early on against Rubin but, after leading 4-1 in the first set, the Slovenian won only one more game in the match.
''I played pretty well,'' said Rubin. ''She's a tricky type of player and you can't rush against her.''
Dokic also had problems against Serna, who moved the Yugoslav about the court. But the 2000 Wimbledon semi-finalist seized control in the third set, crushing first serves and returning big.
''I just couldn't get going early,'' said Dokic. ''I started serving well and I was able to turn it around.''
Third-seeded Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne plays Eleni Daniilidou of Greece later on Tuesday.
Top seed Serena Williams pulled out of the tournament on Monday with a quadraceps injury. Second seed Kim Clijsters of Belgium is scheduled to play her opening match on Wednesday.
Bureau Report