|
Home>News Center>Sports | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Mauresmo, Davenport in Porsche semis
Amelie Mauresmo and Lindsay Davenport won in straight sets Friday to reach the Porsche Grand Prix semifinals in another step in their battle for the No. 1 ranking.
The top-ranked Mauresmo overpowered Lisa Raymond of the United States 6-4, 6-1, and No. 2-ranked Davenport struggled with her first serve but defeated qualifier Jelena Jankovic of Serbia-Montenegro 6-4, 6-3.
Davenport will reclaim the No. 1 ranking if she wins her season-high seventh title and Mauresmo loses her semifinal Saturday. Four of the top five ranked players are in the semis.
Mauresmo faces No. 5 Svetlana Kuznetsova, the U.S. Open champion who stopped Colombia's Fabiola Zuluaga 6-4, 6-1. Davenport plays No. 4 Anastasia Myskina, the French Open winner who beat Russian countrywoman Elena Likhovtseva 4-6, 6-0, 6-2.
Mauresmo, who gained the top ranking Sept. 13, smacked eight aces against Raymond.
"It would be a dream if I was No. 1 next week, too," Mauresmo said.
Davenport trailed 3-1 against Jankovic before her groundstrokes began to click. She ended a string of service breaks in the second set to lead 4-3 and take control. The hard-hitting American landed only 41 percent of her first serves.
"That's pretty bad," Davenport said. "Normally, I have 60 or 70 percent, especially indoors."
Davenport has spent 38 weeks at No. 1, last in January 2002. She thinks she can overtake Mauresmo by the end of the year.
"Being No. 1 isn't so important to me — I've been there before," Davenport said. "I would have preferred to win a Grand Slam this year." |
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
