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Davenport buoyed by win
31/03/2008 07:46 - (SA)
Miami - Lindsay Davenport notched her biggest win since becoming a tennis mum, downing world number two Ana Ivanovic in straight sets in the third round of the Sony Ericsson Open on Sunday.
Davenport, 31, has won four tournaments since September, when she returned to tennis after an 11-month absence to give birth to her son, Jagger.
Now juggling the demands of a tennis career and motherhood, Davenport said she was pleased to find she could take on the rising stars of the WTA Tour.
"I was really excited to play someone at the top," said Davenport, who had never faced Australian Open runner-up Ivanovic before.
"Someone that I hadn't played before, and someone kind of up-and-coming. She's been around for a few years, but obviously she's young and very good.
"In this comeback, I felt like I, for lack of better words, I've not made a fool of myself," Davenport continued. "I've done pretty well for my age and for what I've been through. Obviously, days like today just give me more incentive to keep going."
Won titles
Davenport, a former world number one and 55-time title list has almost $22m in career earnings.
Upon her return last year Davenport promptly won titles in Bali and Quebec City, and she has captured two titles already this year, at Auckland and Memphis.
"I don't want to demean any tournament. Any time you win a tournament it's a great accomplishment," she said. "But having said that, I reached a point a month or two ago where I'm like, OK, I'm ready to play the bigger tournaments. Play the top girls on a more consistent basis.
"Today's obviously the biggest win I've had since coming back," Davenport said. "It's quite rewarding. But having said that, I've got to come right back out tomorrow and play another girl in the top I think 15 or 16."
Davenport next faces 13th-seeded Russian Dinara Safina, a 4-6, 6-1, 6-0 winner over Sybille Bammer of Austria.
Ivanovic said she believed Davenport was still a top-10 calibre player.
"I must say I haven't played against many players who can return so well and so deep, so she puts a lot of pressure on my serve," the rising star said. "She was the better player today, and I hope we get a chance to play again."
- AFP
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