Defending champion Lindsay Davenport finally found some form on Friday to line up an intriguing fourth round clash with in-form Belgian teenager Kim Clijsters.
After two tough three-set battles in the earlier rounds, the big American girl breezed through her third round match, beating Silvia Farina Elia of Italy 6-2 6-1.
“ I am a lot happier with the way I played and even some of the balls I missed,” she said. “You can tell when you are hitting the ball clean and hitting it well even though you might not win every point, and today I really felt like I was timing the ball a lot better.”
“If you can get through and find your game as the tournament goes on you have just as good a chance as if you play great tennis from round one.”
She acknowledged that 17-year-old Clijsters would provide her with a tougher challenge than anything she has faced so far. “The last time we played in the fall we had two very tough three set matches and I don't expect anything different,” she said.
Bureau Report