Tennis: Davenport Makes Painful Progress

When Lindsay Davenport won the first Australian Open of the millennium, and thus became the first US-born woman to win the title since Chris Evert in 1984, it began an unbroken run of American success - Jennifer Capriati in 2001 and 2002 and last year Serena Williams. But it turned out to be Davenport's last grand slam triumph.

She had been US Open champion in 1998 and won Wimbledon the following year. Yet, although she possessed the power to match the Williamses, their greater athleticism was decisive and in 2000 Davenport lost Wimbledon and the US Open finals to Venus. Since then she has failed to get past a semi-final.

Yesterday Davenport moved into the last 16 with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Laura Granville but remains unconvinced about her chances of resurrecting the glory days of four years ago when she defeated Martina Hingis in the final, depriving the Swiss of a fourth successive Australian Open title.

"I think I've really been under the radar my whole career," said Davenport - meaning that she has rarely been considered the favourite for a grand slam title. She will be 28 this year and recognises that her chances of further success are fast diminishing.

She began slowly against Granville, trailing 4-1 in the opening set. " I can't afford to keep going through patches like that but by the close I was hitting the ball much better," said Davenport, who has recovered from a foot injury only to be troubled by a painful shoulder. The shoulder is apparently better but by the look on her face this victory did not cause her much joy.

These days Davenport tends to find herself talking about the chances of others, rather than her own aspirations, and she was particularly complimentary towards Amélie Mauresmo, who reached the fourth round in better style with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain.

Back in 1999, when Davenport lost to Mauresmo in the semi-finals here, she made one or two unflattering remarks about the French woman. Hingis had referred to Mauresmo as "half a man" and Davenport compounded these injudicious and hurtful remarks.

Bridges have long been mended. "Amélie is a fantastic player and one of the most athletic we have on the tour," Davenport said yesterday. "There's no doubt she has the potential to win and everybody is waiting to see if she can maintain her consistency over two weeks. She's a great player".

Mauresmo was having a little trouble with her left leg, feeling a tightness in the calf. "It is not something I have experienced before but I think it should be OK," she said. The trou ble is that such minor niggles have a habit of becoming major problems for a woman whose mental fortitude is questionable.

Justine Henin-Hardenne, the world No1, who lost to Mauresmo in the semi-final of the season-ending championship in Los Angeles, and who could play her for a place in the final here, is another player who believes the French woman is close to a grand slam breakthrough. "She's playing very aggressive tennis right now, the type that's not very usual on the tour."